2022-04-05
John 8:32 NKJV
Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It takes courage to face a painful reality. It’s easier to bail out of a troubled marriage than to stay and work your way through to a better place. It’s easier to give in to despair and self-pity than go back to school and train for a new career.
It takes guts to stand up for your convictions when you’re under fire. But somebody said, “Unless you stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” The truth is, anytime you’re willing to stand for something or try something new, somebody will take a shot at you.
The English word courage is derived from the French word cœur, meaning “heart.” Hence the phrase “don’t lose heart.” It’s easy to be brave when you feel strong, but it’s much harder when you feel weak and inadequate. Yet, that’s when you need courage the most.
General Omar Bradley remarked, “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.” And the courage he is referring to isn’t hollow hype. It has nothing to do with a “fake it till you make it” mentality. Courage means saying, “If God promised it, I believe it” and moving forward despite the obstacles.
If you need an injection of courage today, read and meditate on these verses: (1) “Be strong and do not give up… your work will be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). (2) “Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls, ‘Courage! Take heart! God is… on his way… He’ll save you!'” (Isaiah 35:3-4 MSG). Now that’s courage!
Soul food: Lev 5-7; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 26; Pro 9:8-9
2022-04-04
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
God knew the battles Joshua would have to fight in order to conquer the promised land, so He told Joshua three times: ‘Be strong and of good courage.’ Whenever we move forwards, at some point we’ll come up against obstacles that block our path. It can be so disheartening to feel we’ve been making good progress, only to be stopped in our tracks. But rather than seeing obstacles as enemies (even if that’s how they feel), let’s try to think of them as resources that we can use to our advantage.
Every obstacle we face reveals our strengths and weaknesses. They also shape us and make us wiser and more confident when we overcome them. The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: ‘Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.’
Whenever we leave our comfort zones and step out in faith to follow God, we’ll be tested. But we’ll also discover opportunities to reach heights we thought were beyond us and go further than others who had more talent but settled for the easier option. In The Message paraphrase, Paul tells us: ‘Every detail works to your advantage… So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace’ (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 MSG).
Let’s not give up when we face obstacles and problems, and instead tackle them with courage and God’s help.
Lev 1-4; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 18:30-50; Pro 9:7
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
Knowing the battles he would have to fight in order to conquer the promised land, God told Joshua this, no less than three times: “Be strong and of good courage.” Anytime you move forward, obstacles will block your path. Count on it! H. G. Wells asked, “What on earth would a man do with himself, if something did not stand in his way?” What did he mean? That adversity is your friend – even when it feels like your enemy. Every obstacle you face reveals your strengths and weaknesses. It also shapes you and makes you wiser and more confident.
Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”
Anytime you leave your comfort zone and step out in faith to follow God, you will be tested. But you will also reach heights you thought were beyond you and go further than others who had greater talent but settled for the status quo.
Paul tells us: “Every detail works to your advantage… So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace” (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 MSG). Courage can be defined as simply “not giving up.”
Soul food: Lev 1-4; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 18:30-50; Pro 9:7
Josua 1:9 NLV
Omdat God geweet het watter oorloë hy sou moes veg om die Beloofde Land in te neem, het Hy vir Josua gesê: ‘My opdrag aan jou is dat jy sterk en dapper moet wees…’ Jy sal altyd struikelblokke in jou pad hê wanneer jy vorentoe wil beweeg. H.G. Wells het gevra: ‘Wat op aarde sal ‘n man met homself doen, as iets nie in sy pad staan nie?’ Wat het hy daarmee bedoel? Dat teëspoed jou vriend is – selfs wanneer dit soos jou vyand voel. Elke struikelblok waarvoor jy te staan kom, openbaar jou sterkpunte en swakhede.
Die digter Ralph Waldo Emerson het geskryf: ‘Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.’
Enige tyd wat jy jou gemaksone verlaat en ‘n tree in geloof neem om God te volg, sal jy getoets word. Jy sal egter hoogtes bereik wat jy gedink het buite jou bereik is en verder gaan as ander mense wat meer talent het, maar met die status quo tevrede is. Paulus sê vir ons: ‘Ons gee nooit moed op nie, ook nie wanneer ons rondgestamp en mishandel word nie. Nee, dan byt ons eers vas, want God is die hele tyd by ons… Ons bietjie swaarkry hier en nou weeg nie op teen al die goeie dinge wat op ons wag in God se nuwe wêreld nie…’ (2 Korintiërs 4:16-17 DB).
Dapperheid is wanneer jy eenvoudig nie opgee nie.
Sielskos: Lev 1-4; Luk 21:25-38; Ps 18:30-50; Spr 9:7
2022-04-03
Romans 6:14 MSG
If you want to grow roses, you must declare war on weeds; otherwise, they will run amok in your garden. In other words, you must beware of weeds! There is a spiritual parallel at work here, and it’s this: Unless you deal decisively with sin, it will take over your life.
Paul puts it like this: “Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life – no longer at sin’s… beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God…. That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember, you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God” (vv. 6-14 MSG).
So, the word for you today is – say no to sin!
Soul food: Josh 2:1-24; Acts 9:20-30
