How to get courage

*Courage*

What is it?  

When you have the right words in you and none of the wrong ones stick. 

Who has it? 

The one who will not tolerate disgrace or defiance of the living God.  ("Zeal for Your house has consumed me.") Courage brews in the impassioned person.  Someone who has a solid allegiance.  (Choose this day whom you will serve.)

How do you get it?

A. How did David get it?

It was built up from his time in the fields as a shepherd boy.  He may not have been called to battle like his cool older brothers, but he did do what he was told to do diligently and with all his heart.  If his dad said go deliver cheese, he did it.  If an animal tried to attack his sheep he fought it.  He carried his responsibility well.  He was trained in the invisible moments where no one saw him, but God.  No one knew of him, but that didn't deter him from doing what he was doing with all his heart.  Courage came from God who saw David's heart when nobody else did.  

B. How did David NOT get it? 

He didn't get it by looking at his abilities or by hearing the naysayers who doubted him. 

Let's do what we do well, wherever God has us in this time, let's give it all we have because God is always aware.  And He never puts us somewhere for no reason.  

But today, we are in His plan. 

Perhaps we will arrive at a moment where we rush toward the giant rather than cower away from it, because we will have the courage in us from all the days before that.  God is conditioning us at all times to have hearts full of courage, allegiance, and passion for His name. 

When we come to that place in prayer of admitting that we can't because we are scared, it is here that we are standing in the truth.  We can't, but we must know this for real so that when we do we attribute all the glory to God.  

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The story in 1 Samuel 17 is a good reminder about what courage is and what it is not.  Courage is not a burst of adrenaline because you are so courageous, of which you pat yourself on the back afterwards, courage is rage against anyone that defies the name of God even if no one knows your name.  

“Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation? ” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other! ” When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem. Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. One day Jesse had told his son David: “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”

When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified. Previously, an Israelite man had declared: “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the household of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.” 

David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? ”

But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”

Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

David said to the Philistine: “You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies — you have defied Him.

When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, “Whose son is this youth, Abner? ” “My king, as surely as you live, I don’t know,” Abner replied.

Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man? ” “The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David answered.”

1 Samuel 17:4, 8-11, 15-19, 24-26, 33, 37, 45, 48, 55, 58

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Stand where you are today and know God,

Jmegrey