Have you ever had a time in your life, when you felt so afraid that you screamed inside of yourself, “I just can’t do it!” Are you there now? God knows that there will be times when you will feel afraid to move forward or do something that is totally out of your comfort zone. He knows that sometimes fear will try to paralyze you from doing that very thing that you know you should do. Yet, in spite of the apprehension, that’s when He encourages you and I by saying, “Be strong and courageous.”
And these words are not cliché words. No, no, no. They are taken straight from the Bible my sister. Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” So if you were to break this Scripture down in bite size pieces and meditate on each line, you will become stronger and stronger in your faith. It’s powerful!
I will say here that being courageous doesn’t mean that you won’t be afraid. That wouldn’t be realistic. Instead, it means to press through the fear when you feel afraid. In fact, sometimes your knees will shake or your anxiety will rise. Your mind may even start racing away with all kinds of “what if” thoughts. But when this happens, that’s when you have to kick into overdrive and let the word of God take over. That’s when you have to plunge through your fear and trust in Him. You have to trust God beyond your fears.
Trust me. I know this is far from easy. I have been there too many times to know that this can be tough. Personally, when things have looked dark, scary, or intimidating in my life, I’ve had to trust God beyond my fears. And it hasn’t been easy. However, that’s when the Lord would remind me, “Be strong and courageous, Courtnaye. I am with you.” And I would have to repeat those words over and over again, and then walk in His strength and courage.
I remember asking God one day, many years ago, “Who am I in the Bible, Lord?” And He clearly whispered to me in the middle of my devotion…”Joshua.” Ever since that day, Joshua 1:9 has become one of my life Scriptures. Do you have a “life” Scripture that you can hold onto when tough or fearful times enter your life?
I also want to mention here before I close this post, that not only does the Lord tell us to be courageous, He also tells us to be strong. Meaning to be strong in Him. Because He will be our strength when things are tough. And He will be our protector in times of need. He can be trusted.
Actually, it has a lot to do with trusting Him. Whether it’s through trusting Him for tough circumstances or for people. He wants us to trust Him. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” And Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” In other words, it’s like He’s saying, “Go forth. I’m here with you. I will supply. I will protect. You are safe with Me.”
I’ll close with this my sister. Have you heard, “If God is for us, then who can be against us?” Well, it’s true as well. It’s found in Romans 8:31. When we keep our focus on Him and trust in His word, there is safety in Him. We have to always keep in mind that our Father has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind as 2 Timothy 1:7. And the word also reassures us that, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3). He’s got us sis. So let’s be strong and courageous!
Has this post helped you? If so, leave a comment and let me know how it helped. Thanks!
Remember Jesus is coming back soon! And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So let’s be ready from the Inside Out!
~Courtnaye
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dear courtnaye, thank you for this morning’s blog. we have sunday night prayer meetings at our church and the subject of trust came up. if you’ve walked with the Lord long enough, you will experience that when you can fully trust Him for the outcome, everything falls into place the way He wants it to; not the way we think it should be. trust is believing God for the outcome. trust is doing our part and allowing God to do the rest. thank you for your encouragement. i always look forward to reading what the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart for us women. God bless. you, your family, and the ministry that the Lord has entrusted to you are in my prayers. love, sista adeline 🙂
I just recently went through being so afraid that I nearly got sick. We had a service to put on at our church Young Women Christian Council. I was chosen to speak on Faith , and I had never been up in front of a crowd before speaking, but for weeks I prayed so hard that God would be with me. I got up there , and before I knew it all of my nervousness , and being scared was gone.God never left me. Courtnaye You are so inspiring , and encouraging. I love your blogs.
I just recently went through being so afraid that I nearly got sick. We had a service to put on at our church Young Women Christian Council. I was chosen to speak on Faith , and I had never been up in front of a crowd before speaking, but for weeks I prayed so hard that God would be with me. I got up there , and before I knew it all of my nervousness , and being scared was gone.God never left me. Courtnaye You are so inspiring , and encouraging. I love your blogs.
Wow! Praise God! Look at Him!!!! He is sooooo amazing! Sometimes we will be afraid, but it’s so encouraging to know that He will help us to press through when it tried to overtake us. What an amazing God we serve! I am also so grateful to God that my posts have ministered to you sis. Thanks for reading them! Continue to allow Him to use you for His glory in this last hour! Blessings to you! And continue to be strong and courageous sis!
Love,
Your sister in Christ…Courtnaye