“and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” - Psalms 50: 15 (NIV).
Prophet Moses, King David, Apostle Paul have all one thing in common. It is called courage.
When Moses walked up to Pharaoh Remesis, the monarch whom he had fled from forty years ago, terrified of him, and spoke up to him, “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:2); that was a courageous moment. The king of Egypt could have unleashed all his weapons against him there and then. But Moses stood firm.
King David was only but a youth who decided to go up and face a mighty giant called Goliath terrorizing the Israelites. When he saw him approach, Goliath, “looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” (1 Samuel 17:42-44). David must have had courage not to flee.
When as a prisoner, Paul was brought before the Chief Priest and all the members of the Sanhedrin, he dared them without flinching, announcing, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day” (Acts 23:1). At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to slap him. But Paul stood firm. “Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!” (vv 2-3).
Courage has been defined as “the ability to do something that frightens one”; it is bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. A person might be outnumbered yet refuse to balk down. We come across courage in ordinary life situations where a bully using his power pushes out the weak, only for one small fellow to stand up to him.
Moses, David, Paul and a cast of Biblical stars had courage because they knew the power of God. After he had stood firm against the chief priest and the Jewish elders, “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11).
We all need courage in the face of battles, some which appear overwhelming. But if we look up to God as these did, He will provide courage to stand up to whatever and emerge victorious.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray for courage in the face of all obstacles, knowing that your power is greater than all the forces in the world, this I pray in Jesus’s name
Related upcoming events
-
06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
