Take Courage

And that same following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have been a faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Acts 23:11

Our women’s bible study recently studied Acts chapter 23. The more I read the chapter in preparation to teach, the more I was reminded of how often God spoke to His servants about courage. In Deuteronomy 31:6 which say’s, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Then in one of the most familiar passages in Joshua 1:9 God tells Joshua “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Then we have   the Psalms where again and again we read armloads of verses about courage. Our New Testament mirrors the same words of hope and strength in passages such as John 16:33 where Jesus Himself speaks to His disciples saying, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

This is by no means a complete list of all the commands in the Bible about courage, however we have sufficient reminders that God went to great lengths to provide us with His charge in order help us to finish strong in this earthly journey.

Great men and women of God throughout biblical history had their moments just like us, when their courage would be put to the test. Christendom in every age has been a long successive story of frail and fleshly individuals who’s faith at one time or another would undergo the fire. Yet, in those moments whether it was in preparation for a great task, or a needed exhortation during doubt and fear, God stepped in!

When the Lord commands us to take courage, He is simply challenging us to rely on His providence. Providence is big word but simply put… it is the invisible but undeniable hand of God reaching down and turning the bad into good, the dangerous into glorious, and the tragic into triumph.

Courage is not about telling ourselves how capable and strong we are. Quite the contrary. It is grounding ourselves in the unchangeable facts of God’s infinite and indisputable wisdom and knowledge (Rom 11:33). The One who governs the universe, and who has His finger on the pulse of human affairs right down the very number of hairs on our head.

Where do you find yourself today? Have you endured yet another disappointment as a mother? Have found yourself dismayed in your marriage. As a single woman are you wondering why God has withheld a deep longing. Maybe you’re watching where the world is going and uncertainty about God’s purpose has gripped your heart.

Beloved listen to the Lord, look up into His glory. The story is not over yet, but when it is we will clearly see that God was on  His throne all along ruling and reigning victoriously. Remember the words in 1Cor 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

It was Elisabeth Elliot who said, “We are not adrift in chaos. To me that is the most fortifying, the most stabilizing, the most peace-giving thing that I know about anything in the universe. Every time that things have seemingly fallen apart in my life, I have gone back to those things that do not change. Nothing in the universe can ever change those facts. He loves me. I am not at the mercy of chance.” Take Courage!