Strong and Courageous – Forging New Paths Along Ancient Ways – Life Lesson No. 4: The Source of Courage

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Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלוהים) says:

Strong and courageous is who you are in Me. I made you to be a hero, which is what I called Gideon the first time he spoke with Me. I called him a hero with the strength of an army. That was not the image he had of himself, not even close, but after spending time with Me, he became just that and took the whole host of the enemy down with just three hundred men and, of course, with Me.

It was to be that way from the beginning for I made you to reign with Me in life and provided you with all you needed for life and godliness to rule over the works of My hands. Adam left that position, abdicating it to the devil, and stepped into the shoes of a weak, mortal man. But in Christ Jesus, I reversed the damage done by Adam and have equipped you to be more than a conqueror. Even from the mouths of infants and babies I have fashioned strength and praise that can turn back the enemy and all his evil forces. But notice it comes from their mouths. Jesus is the High Priest of your confession (homologia). You cannot take territory and have the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil without opening your mouth. And you will not open it if you are a coward, you will hide and hope you stay off the enemy’s radar.

Almost everywhere I speak of courage in My Word I couple it with strength. But courage and strength are different, although they must be combined to have the victory every time over the enemy.

My servant David did not have the physical strength to overcome Goliath, but he had the courage to do so. The Israelite army had the strength to take Goliath down when he stepped out before them, but they did not have the courage to do so. Courage is confidence that you will have the victory. It makes you bold. Confidence gives you courage and boldness to go forward.

Strength without courage is almost useless because the strength lies wasted and unused. I had given My people My strength to take down the giants in the Promised Land, but they lacked the courage to go in, and so consequently they talked themselves out of enjoying the conquest.

My apostle Paul was courageous to go forward even when he knew, from the warnings of My Spirit, that chains and hardship awaited him. Why? He knew Me in whom He had believed and knew that I would supply all he needed and deliver him out of them all.

I had told him to go and preach in Rome before Ceasar and he knew I would get him there. And I did, and even supplied him with the entire trip free and very nice lodgings when he got there. But he was in chains as a prisoner under house arrest. But no matter what circumstances he was in he was content and free, filled with courage and strength until he finished the work I had given him to do. Nothing could stop him.

I did not give you a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound, self-controlled mind. You are not a coward. And yet many of you are acting the part of coward, even in situations at work or with those who do not believe in Me (and I tell you the fool says in his heart there is no God) by being afraid to speak out the truth of My Word if it is considered not politically correct.

Paul was not afraid to call sin for what it was and to tell what practices were sinful and perverted. Why are you so fearful? It is not the politicians or even your peers that will save you before Me on judgment day. It is to Me you must give an account. And that is not in the negative sense, it is positive, for if you do speak out according to My Word, I will give you words and a wisdom by My Spirit that no one can take exception to or contradict, and you will save some and give courage to others to stand as well.

Courage is of the heart, and it is fueled by vision. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24.

Courage, like faith, speaks, and not in a whisper.

So that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.

To have courage you must have a source and it cannot be yourself, even Samson finally realized that his strength was from Me and that when My Spirit left him when he had given his whole heart to the enemy it was gone.

The reason none of the Israelites had courage other than David to confront Goliath was because they looked at themselves and forgot the Covenant and the promises I had made them concerning the possession of the land. David looked at Me and he knew the Covenant. That is why he called Goliath an uncircumcised Philistine who was trying to rout the people of God from the promised land. 1 Samuel 17:26. He had confidence therefore that he could take him down. He knew what I had told Moses when Moses wondered how he could free My people from the powerful empire of Egypt. I simply told him I would be with him. And that was enough to take down anything that was of the enemy. I just need one person and I can take down an army. But I need at least one who will authorize Me through their dominion authority on the earth and undertake to do My Word with faith in Me and courage based on My Word.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47.

David knew that though he had gone out on the frontline the battle was Mine. He had put himself in My hands and went out to save My people Israel from having the county I had given them taken away by the enemy who had no respect, now covenant with, or belief in Me. And with him acting with Me, I needed no one else. David was bold. He did not waver or mince words with the enemy. He spoke the end from the beginning and went forward.

And I told Moses the same when he faced the Red Sea on one side and Pharaoh’s charioteers and army on the other. The battle was Mine they just had to keep quiet and not say negative things and go forward while Moses raised his staff and spoke My Words to the sea. And I then worked with him to do the impossible. But nothing is impossible for Me and all things are possible for those that believe that as they keep their eyes on Me and not just the problem. I have the solution. And when you know that you are bold to go forward with the plan.

It was the same for Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah as three enemy armies advanced towards Jerusalem to take them captive and worse. They turned their eyes on Me with complete trust and confidence and hope did not disappoint. I told them the battle was Mine but they had to go out to the frontlines and face the enemy. And without wavering they did just that singing praise and thanks to Me as they marched out to see the wonders I would do for them and with them. And I took care of it before they even got to the lookout on the hill over the enemy camp. The three enemy armies that had united to destroy Judah instead turned on and destroyed each other. Thanksgiving is the catalyst that speeds up victory. When you have confidence, you have courage and strength to face things boldly and that kind of hope never disappoints. Confident hope in Me is the source of strength and courage for your life.

Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24.

Look at the psalms of David and you will find that he had great confidence in Me. How do I know that? By the descriptive names he called me that are Covenant Names containing the promise signed in My Name Yahweh.

“I love You, O LORD, my strength.” The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3.

He called Me his strength, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his God, his rock of refuge, his shield, the horn of his salvation, his stronghold and the one who saved him from his enemies when he called upon Me. He called Me worthy of praise. He also had more names by which he called Me, including his shepherd, his fortress, his salvation, and his exceeding joy. When things looked hopeless or impossible, David encouraged himself in Me and asked Me what to do with confidence that I would give him a good result. And I did. I gave him his battle plans and I was with him wherever he went. David was the first person to ever tell Me he loved Me.

I lift you on high, inaccessibly high, when you know My Name, for My Name is a strong tower and when the righteous run into it they are lifted high above their enemies and all the evil forces of the devil.

And David’s undaunting courage came from our relationship. And that is how it will come to you too. Because of your confidence in Me and all that I do and will do for you. When you know Me, and I am love, there is no fear any longer. Perfect love casts out all fear. I am for you, who can be against you? I gave you My Son, will I not give you all things with Him? And that will give you courage.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20.

To move forward with courage, you must also have a vision and a plan that you know you have received from Me. Joshua had a vision and a plan I gave him that I first had given to Moses.

Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9.

And Joshua followed that plan and was successful. When I told him to march around Jericho seven days and then to shout, he did not hesitate, but he did it, and he did the same all through his conquest of the promised land with the new generation of Israelites.

David had a vision to build Me a magnificent temple, but when I told him I would build him a house instead, he did not give up his desire but saved up all the necessary items and budget and then got the floor plans from Me. And with all the directions and resources in place, Solomon had the courage, and I gave him the wisdom, to build the temple and rule Israel.

Jacob’s son Joseph had courage even though his brothers sold him into slavery in a foreign land and then his master’s wife falsely accused him of improper conduct towards her and had him put in prison. He had confidence in Me and that gave him courage to wait on My decision. And he was strong and courageous to face Pharaoh and know I would give him the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and the ability to save many lives in a time of severe famine.

Courage comes from obedience as well. When you know you have My righteousness as your own in Jesus and that it cannot be taken from you, then you are far from oppression.

“In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Isaiah 54:14-15.

You are more than a conqueror. No weapon formed against you will prosper.

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness and vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17.

When you receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, you reign in life through Christ Jesus. And that sounds like courage. I made you to rule over the works of My hands. Cowards hide, but My people are bold as a lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Christ in you, your hope of glory. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. You can do all things in him who strengthens you.

The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone he may devour. Be alert. It is time you roared back and put him on the run, for the roar he will hear out of your mouth will sound just like Jesus.

I love you. It is time for you to wake up to righteousness.