Message topic: Courage: how much do you have in Christ?
Scripture text: Joshua 1: 1-11
I believe that mankind today are living in the most intelligent era of our existence on this earth, yet there are many who are in many aspect of our lives lacking understanding of who God truly is to men.
This morning we are going to take a look at a word which appears in the scripture which we do not often pay much attention to, even though it is very important to our daily way of living, that world is courageous.
In the scripture, “courageous” is often defined as having the strength and confidence to face challenges or danger, despite fear, rooted in faith in God and the understanding that He is present and will provide strength, often expressed through phrases like ‘be strong and courageous” (particularly Joshua 1: 9) signifying the ability to act boldly and stand firm in the face of adversity, trusting in God’s power and guidance.
A key point about biblical courage and it’s source.
God is the ultimate source of courage, and relying on His strength allows one to be courageous even in difficult situations such as fear. There are many verses that encourage people to ‘fear not” but trust in God. Being courageous means taking, action despite fear, standing up for what is right, and fulfilling one’s responsibilities.
Listen to these words of courage from Joshua to the Israelites on their way through the wilderness when they encounter the enemy. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discourage, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
These people who were considered to be God’s people, were told to have courage, but what is courage, and from where would they get the courage they need ?
All mankind in this world who have accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior are known as God’s people, which includes you and I, so, from where do we get courage, what does it look like and how do we use it, and from where do we obtain it?
How often have you heard this term used? It does require much courage to live our lives pleasing to God in our world today, how is courage defined?
Listen to how the word courage is defined in one of the world’s most recognized dictionaries: the New World Dictionary: it defines courage as the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, and instead of withdrawing from it, quality of being fearless or brave, valor having a mind; purpose; or spirit the courage of one’s conviction, one would dear the danger and to change the potential outcome.
God is the ultimate source of courage, and relying on His strength allows one to be courageous even in difficult situations. Courage is directly opposed to fear, and many verses encourage people to fear not’ and trust in God.
Being courageous means taking action despite fear, standing up for what is right, and fulfilling one’s responsibilities. We often learn from examples, do we have any examples of courage that we can learn from? How about a youngster by the name of David?
I do believe that if we should go out in any of our communities and stand at the street corner and ask the passerby if they know who was David? Many would say that he was one listed in the bible as a man of God, but if you should ask from where he came, they would not have the right answer, even many of us who are living believers in God through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.
So let us ask ourselves, who was this youngster called David that I just mentioned, who was he, and from where did he comes? And from where did he get the courage in God that he can show us courage today?
He is able to do this because his descendants goes back to the time when God appears to Joshua on their way through the wilderness from Egypt, and said to him, in Joshua one, starting at verse one; Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them even to the children of Israel.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goes.
These are the people from which David descends, people who adhere to the voice of God as they see Him moving among them: that is why as a youngster when he visited his older brothers in which he was not old enough be a part of a war, but heard the insults of the enemy against the people of God, he took the challenge to enter and fight in the battle.
When King Saul heard of his willingness to enter the fight by taking on the champion of the enemy, he gird him with his own Omar and told him to go and fight, but he find this to be a hindrance to him, so he abandoned the uniform, took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip: and his sling was in his hand as he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bear the shield went before him. When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. Then the Philistine said unto David, am I a dog, that thou come to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods words.
The Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beast of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, thou comes to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of host, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defiled.
This day will the Lord, deliver thee into mine hand: and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistine this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saved not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof , and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead they all fled.
Did we see the courage of David? It must have been surprising to David to find that one champion of the army of the Philistines was able to scare off the whole army of the Israelites from attacking them, but David remembered the instruction from the man of God when he called to their memory the words of God and His promise to protect them in what so ever situation they would find themselves in.
Let us remind ourselves today and always that the God who said to Joshua: say to the people: have I not commanded thee to be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goes. Let us not forget that the God who gave the courage to David to standup against the Philippine worrier is our God today.