“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
What’s the most courageous thing you have ever done? Think about that today. What is something you’ve done that took great courage? It’s always inspiring to hear really courageous stories.
When I think about stories of courageous people, I think about Harriet Tubman leading slaves to freedom on the underground railroad…or Anne Frank living in secret and hiding people from the Nazis…or Martin Luther King Jr. standing up for equal rights…or the first responders and citizens who rushed into the wreckage on 9/11 to save complete strangers.
There are so many people who have personified courage throughout the years, and it is inspiring. But to some degree, it is also convicting. I was thinking about my own personal “courage stories” this week, and the best I could come up with is that I delivered puppies in a bathtub one time…without wearing gloves.
Let me ask you again: What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? And now let me ask you this: Why did you do it?
I want to share with you something I’ve learned over the years. People who demonstrate great courage always have a good reason for doing so. That is true today, but it’s really been true since the beginning of humanity.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at Old Testament characters who demonstrated great courage. They were regular people just like you and me who because of their courage, we now know who they are. As we look at these characters, I want you to think about the most courageous thing you have done and what act of courage could you display NOW!
The Lord instructs us to be courageous. Joshua 1:9 says, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Let’s learn from His people how to follow this commandment in our lives today!