Courage is Commanded

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Is courage a personality type? Is it the quality possessed by those of natural inner strength? Where does true courage come from? Anyone can put a brave face on. But not everyone will have courage.

Courage is the obedient response to the trustworthy God. In the Bible God commands Joshua to be courageous. You might feel bad for Joshua. The poor guy was about to face giants and large walled cities. Wouldn't he have a right to be scared and very discouraged? Well, no, actually. God - the mountain shaking, Red Sea parting, manna providing God - was leading the way. He had promised never to leave Joshua's side.

With God's promise and power at the front, God commands Joshua to take courage. What does this mean? God expects Joshua to believe in him, in his power and promise. God expects that Joshua will act according to this faith.

God calls us to partner with him in making disciples of all nations. To do this will require great courage. The lost will remain unreached as long as the command to take courage is not heeded. Risk is a part of advancing the kingdom of God. If courage was simply a feeling of inspiration, not much would get done. But, it is the obedient sons and daughters of the King that will take bold risks in his name. Courage is needed to complete the Great Commission.

Courage is not optional for the Christian. God commands it, so we can do it.

Take a moment to write out your prayer of commitment to take courage in an area where you often feel afraid or apprehensive. You can use the Comments section below to write your prayer.

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