Be Courageous

   I’m not going to lie.  Every time I turn on the news and I hear about what is going on in the world, I get scared.  Paris attacks.  A pastor’s wife murdered in Indiana.  Planes diverted.  School shootings.  Missing children.  The refugee crisis.  The list could go on.  And, not only that, we see the war of ideologies.  We see the Christian faith marginalized, attacked, and refuted while other worldviews are encouraged without being analyzed or verified.

   In fact, there are Christians who have said, “I give up.  This world is too much.  I’m just going to get away.”  They may go “off the grid” and begin prepping, or, less isolationist, they might just turn off the news, avoid non-believers, and live in a simple world with little to no interaction with the rest of mankind.

   I can understand.  It seems pointless, hopeless even.  And perhaps there is a point when we just hunker down and wait for Jesus’s return.  But I can’t imagine that time is here yet. Why?  Because it isn’t that bad yet. 

   You might think I’m ridiculous to say that, but I’d like us to look at Scripture as our litmus test.

   

   Moses, on his own, faced the leader of the most powerful on Earth at this time who had enslaved a people who rejected him.

   Joshua, on his own, had to lead an untrained people in to the land of promise filling the shoes of Moses (who wouldn’t be intimidated by that???).

   Daniel, on his own, spoke truth to a pagan nation that had exiled him and his people refusing to bow down to their idols.

   Esther, on her own, faced an entire nation bent on destroying all of her people by defying a system that hated women. 

   John the Baptist, on his own, challenged a majority of religious hypocrites.

12 disciples stood firm on their eyewitness accounts in front of an unbelieving world that killed them.

   Paul was sent out to a pagan world that had no knowledge or understanding of Jesus or the Old Testament that prophesied Him and planted churches.

And these people changed the world. 

   Yes, they suffered.  They hurt.  They were afraid.  Some even died in the pursuit.  But they boldly went forward.  Why?  Because they knew they weren’t alone.  They weren’t really being asked to do all these things on their own strength. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 [bold mine]

   Our confidence is not in any ability that we might have in ourselves.  Our confidence comes solely from our reliance on Him.  We will have trouble.  It’s going to be hard.  But we are not alone.  And we can have confidence that God is still working in this world, no matter how chaotic it might seem.

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”  Psalm 27:13-14

   All we need are eyes to see and ears to hear where God is moving and then, the big step, we need to join Him.  We don’t have to be afraid of the future because God is with us now, and He will be there too.  And, in God’s perfect timing, I read in today’s Jesus Calling devotional the following encouraging words:

Leave outcomes up to me.  Follow Me wherever I lead, without worrying about how it will all turn out.  Think of your life as an adventure, with Me as your Guide and Companion.  Live in the now, concentrating on staying in step with Me.  When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help….You already know the ultimate destination of your journey:  your entrance of your journey.  So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me.