Courageous
This word is a derivative of the word courage which is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.” There are many examples in our world today of people who are very courageous. I believe to be a first responder; you have to have great courage. I also believe to serve in the military; courage is a fundamental “must have”. When fighting against cancer, great courage is really important. I feel like my courage has grown significantly over the years as I walk out my faith in the Lord. He has inspired me profoundly. He has spoken great truth into my life. He has walked with me through valleys that were very deep and dark. His Presence in me has made me courageous.
I love the story of Micaiah when he was asked to address King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah and give them counsel from the Lord before fighting against Ramoth Gilead. He was one of at least 400 other prophets who was asked to give the kings counsel. Check this out…
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.” (2 Chronicles 18:11-13 NIV)
I would love to meet this guy Micaiah. He was courageous and stood strong on the truth that came from the Lord. He was unpopular but he was correct. It turned out that Ahab did die in the fight against Rahab Gilead just as Micaiah had predicted. It takes great courage to “go against the flow”, but when it’s the right thing to do there is no other option for a courageous Christian. I thought about the movie Courageous where four men protected the citizens from harm, but it was even more courageous of them to raise their families to know the Lord.
The title song has solid content about what it means to be courageous. There were some lines from this song that spoke to my heart. Casting Crowns is the artist performing the song here.
…….The only way we’ll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise…
I want to be a courageous follower of God. I want to live by the truth and values found in the Word of God. I want to follow Him even when it’s unpopular or I’m in the minority. I want the courage inside my heart to continue to grow as I choose to follow Him again today.
Pressing On!
Dwayne