Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Courage is strength in the face of pain, grief, fear, or the unknown. Joshua was told to be of good courage as he was preparing to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. There were kings to remove, the armies to confront, and the land to be subdued. The LORD committed to go with Joshua and not fail or forsake him. The same is true today.
Fear dominates the headlines today. Fear has been used as a great motivator in getting society to do what those in control want. The church used fear to control the congregation by preaching the eternal damnation doctrine. You cannot control those people who hear Our Heavenly Father and have the courage to respond accordingly. Those people have a higher calling and a commitment to act accordingly. Peer pressure will not cause them to tow the popular line. Conformity is not a predominant trait of those with courage. Fear of rejection and insecurities are replaced by boldness and assurance that Our Heavenly Father is directing your path.
Jesus displayed courage as He went to the cross. He relied completely on the word of Our Heavenly Father. The disciples then had courage to face their enemies for they knew Jesus had been raised from the dead. Courage came forth as revelation from Above and provided direction to each disciple.
“Be not afraid” goes hand in hand with “Be of good courage”. Fear will raise its ugly head and convince you to compromise. Fear of loss is a strong motivator when allowed to fester. To be an overcomer, you must be tested and overcome. Courage is a necessity for the overcomer to fulfill the tests specific to his or her calling.
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
Our Heavenly Father will strengthen your heart. HE will not forsake you for it is HIS good pleasure to do HIS will through you and give you the necessary tools to overcome any obstacle that you encounter. When you know your calling in life, there is no Plan B, only Plan A. Your calling will require courageous acts from time to time. You will have to defend your position against one or more adversaries. Even though you intend to live a quiet and peaceful life, challenges will arise. Lawlessness will raise its ugly head and challenge your resolve.
The word “courage” is mentioned 19 times in the Old Testament and 1 time in the New Testament. Many of those occurrences dealt specifically with entering into the Promised Land, a type and shadow of the Tabernacles Age. The number 19 represents “faith”. In the New Testament, faith is required when acting on The Word. By faith men acted on Our Heavenly Father’s Word. Abraham willingly gave up Isaac on the altar knowing that Our Heavenly Father would raise Isaac from the dead to bring forth the promise HE had spoken to Abraham. Isaac was the son of promise. Faith comes by hearing and responding to the Word of Our Heavenly Father.
In order to have faith and courage we must have the Mind of Christ. In order to have the fullness of the Mind of Christ you must take on HIS Character which is centered around Love. As your soul is purified through Love, you will be able to walk in the faith needed during those times of adversity. You will be able to face the challenges that are set before you. Sickness and disease will lose their grip on you. Love will prevail in your life.