Be Courageous!

September 11, 2025

Be Courageous!

There’s a lot of fear out there right now!  One of the evidences is the continued increase in people suffering with a whole variety of mental illnesses. 

In particular, there are more and more people who are choosing to isolate themselves from interaction with other people and from involvement in the world.  The increase in the feelings of isolation or the choice to isolate one’s self have been dramatic since the Covid pandemic a few years ago.

We are an anxious people who choose to live with more than a little fear.

We are afraid our daughter will never speak to us again.

We are afraid our boss will fire us.

We are afraid our spouse is having an affair.

We are afraid our house will not sell in time.

We are afraid our money will not stretch far enough this month.

We are afraid our neighbor is going to hurt us.

We are afraid our girl friend is going to dump us.

We are afraid our Lord will not forgive us.

We are afraid, anxious, and nervous.  We are terrified, scared, and apprehensive.  We are petrified, paralyzed, and panicky.  We are worried, unsettled, and fretful.

We live in fear of what other people think about us. 

We live in fear of what the people we love expect of us. 

We live in fear of what awful thing might happen to us tomorrow. 

We live in fear of the dream that might not ever happen for us. 

We live in fear of our past coming back to hurt us again.

We are an anxious people who choose to live with more than a little fear.

On a spiritual level, we live in fear the Lord God will never accept us because of who we are or what we have done or what someone else has done to us.  Where do we turn?  

Joshua had always been the number two guy behind Moses.  Moses was one of the greatest leaders in the history of the Israelite people.  He had led the Israelite people out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt, led the Israelite people through the struggles and troubles of the wilderness for 40 years, and led the Israelite people right up to the border of the Promised Land the Lord God promised to give them.

Joshua was the number two guy behind an incredibly great and godly leader.  When Moses dies, the Israelite people are left without a leader in a moment when they desperately needed a courageous and God-honoring leader.  In Joshua 1, the Lord God calls Joshua to be the new leader of the Israelite people. 

The problem is that Joshua is filled with fear.  What if the people do not accept him?  What if the people disagree with him?  What if the people continue to be stubborn?  What if the people choose to reject the Lord God again?

The Lord God speaks directly to Joshua’s fear.  In Joshua 1:6 the Lord God says; “Be strong and courageous, for you shall lead this people to possess the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.”  The Lord God tells Joshua to be courageous.  The Lord God also tells Joshua He will lead the Israelite people into the Promised Land. 

However, Joshua is still afraid; he resists and then rejects the call of the Lord God to be a leader.  The Lord God responds to Joshua by commanding him to be courageous.  In Joshua 1:9 the Lord God says; “I hereby command you:  Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Lord God commands Joshua to put aside the fear and the anger so he can choose to live and lead with courage.  Sometimes we need to hear the Lord’s command to set aside the fear and the anger that is consuming our lives so we can be courageous in our current relationships and circumstances.

The first century church in Corinth was filled with divisions, conflict, and arguing.  The people were tearing one another down and beginning to tear apart the church.  In I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addresses the conflicts in the church. 

Towards the end of his letter, Paul calls the Christ-followers in Corinth to be courageous.  In I Corinthians 16:13-14 Paul writes; “Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

No matter why we are choosing fear or isolation or anxiety, the Lord God calls us to put aside our fear, our hurt, and our brokenness so we can live with courage.  This kind of courage is based on God’s faithfulness to us; the Lord will protect us, provide for us, and always be present with us! 

No matter what other people think or do, no matter how difficult our circumstances, or no matter how many times we have failed in the past, the Lord God calls us to be brave, to be bold, and to be assertive.  The Lord God calls us to live with courage because we know the Lord loves us and is always with us.

When we live with courage, our lives will fill with joy and peace and love because we are confident we are living a God-honoring life.  When we live with courage, our lives will overflow with delight in what the Lord is doing in us and through us. 

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug