Courage

 April 7, 2021

“Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart.” Whenever courage is called for, I want to feel strong enough to face the music; unfortunately, that’s not the way things work. God wastes nothing, and doesn’t give strength to those who aren’t willing to go out on a limb for him. 

Courage doesn’t come from strength, it precedes strength. It isn’t a feeling; it’s a commitment to act in the face of danger. too often, we want to feel courageous while doing nothing. We want God to strengthen us, to make us feel confident before actually doing anything. But as I said, God wastes nothing. We only receive necessary strength. Strength isn’t necessary until after we have taken the first step toward a challenging task. Too often, we play it safe, attempting only what looks possible. God on the other hand, wants us to attempt that which is impossible apart from him.

Courage to act comes from waiting on God (Isaiah 40:31). In his presence we learn what he wants us to do, and when we decide to do it, we find the wait has strengthened us. We are week because we get up from our knees too soon, forfeiting the courage we need to accomplish the miracle we want to see. I’ve often lacked the strength to accomplish great things because I lacked the courage to accomplish great things. I lacked the courage because I didn’t linger in prayer long enough to hear God’s voice encouraging me to step out beyond what I believed I could do. I am thankful for Scripture which reveals the root of the matter and prayer which shows me what the next step should be.