Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:7)

courage and fearOne outstanding characteristic of great men of God is courage. Daniel was courageous to refuse the king’s meat (Daniel 1:8). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego put on the garment of bravery and strong determination to face the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16-18). In the midst of adversity Job displayed enormous courage to stand trials and temptation and refuse to curse God. What about our Lord Jesus? With courage, He gave up himself to be crucified on the cross: He died a shameful death even in the hand of sinners. Courage is the ability to face difficulty or danger without fear. It is an innate quality that every child of God must have. Courage defines the pathway to glory, honour and restoration.

Now, let us see why Christians really need to be courageous?

First, courage has the infinite capacity to break the power of failure. Whatever goals we define for ourselves, whether in the place of work, in our ministry, marriage or whatever, we need excellent spirit of courage to fulfil them. Failure is not uncommon in the life of any human being but as a Christian it is essential to stand on the promises of God with absolute faith. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would have failed God if they had bowed down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image. As a Christian, we may suffer persecution but if we are courageous, we would never fail. Going all out for God requires a lot of courage. Apostle Paul encouraged us:
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord".(1Corinthians 15:58) 
    
Second, courage brings glory, honour and miracle. Many of us desire glory and honour but neglect the key to the same. A look into the life of Joseph in the house of Potiphar reveals amazing power of courage. Joseph made up his mind not to sleep with his master’s wife; instead he took up the garment of prison and suffered with sinners. Glory be to God who honour his people and miraculously made Joseph a prime minister after suffering unjustly. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego mentioned above also revealed amazing miracle that follows a life of courage and faithfulness. The Hebrew trio were not consumed by the fire in which they were thrown (Daniel 3:21-25) because God honoured their courage and faithfulness. That is a big lesson to every one of us who wants God to perform signs and wonders in our life.
 
Third, courage plus holiness brings restoration. Satan rose up against Job to destroy him. He brought all sort of calamity against Job so that he could deny and curse God (Job 1:8-22), but Job was resolute in his decision to live a holy life. At the appointed time, Job received total restoration of all the fortunes that he had lost (Job 42:10-12). What about David? In 1Samuel 30:1-18 The Amalekites came and took David’s wife away after burning down their entire city. But David encouraged himself in the Lord (1samuel 30:6); he pursued the Amalekites and recovered everything the enemy had taken away. Beloved, have you lost anything to the enemy? Be courageous, be holy, be prayerful and wait patiently for total restoration from the Lord.

Salvation first

Are you saved? Courage without Christ is a mere self-determination which might result in frustration, failure and even death. However, with Jesus Christ by your side, your efforts will be honoured and your life will manifest the miraculous power of God. If you will like to be a child of the Most High God, you will need to surrender your life to Christ. To do this is easy; all you need do is repent and pray this simple prayer of salvation. Please do that right away. Tomorrow might be too late!


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