Have Courage

On January 23, I wrote of a brave and courageous young man named Nick who had been fighting his battle with cancer for less than a year.The Lord released him from his anguish and gently called him home last week. He was 22 and had gotten married in 2010 to Andi and what a blessing that he got to experience marriage with someone he loved and adored if only for that short time. But though he is out of his pain, he has left his family of survivors with sadness and a heartbreak, yet a gratefulness to God for their time together on this earth. What courage they have shown, and what faithfulness they have stood on.

Yesterday I received an email from one of the extended family members and the words deeply touched my heart. They were words of encouragement and truth that she had taken from a devotional she read that Jim Denison had written regarding Gabrielle Gifford and the courage that she has maintained throughout her recovery. The part of it that she quoted read:

"Walt Disney noted that some men make difficulties, while difficulties make some men. You never really know what you can do until you must. Pain reveals the truth about our character. C. S. Lewis was right: "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." Winston Churchill added, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." Such courage is your most powerful witness to a skeptical culture."

I googled Denison's website to read the context in which he had written this and found that his theme was courage and recovery. We are all going to be placed in situations that are going to require us to stand up in the face of adversity and have courage. But courage is hard to find and even harder to grasp when our hearts are broken, our dreams are shattered and our lives have been flattened and smothered with sorrow, grief and loneliness. Courage is something you can only truly experience alone. It is a private victory, not a public one. It is facing whatever fear or brokenness has come upon you in faith. From that faith, we gain strength, from strength, we gain boldness, and from boldness we gain courage.

I have watched as families have had to stand on their faith because there was nothing else. Most of you have been in that same position at one time or another, I know our family has. And Nick's family too is holding on to the truth that God will prevail even in circumstances such as this one. But they must have courage as they carry on.

The remaining part of Denison's devotional speaks of bible characters that we have know for years through stories told and retold. Though courage is a private victory and not a public one, aren't there times when you have watched as someone else has faithfully held on to God's strength, in the midst of great adversity and they have survived through the strength and courage that God filled them with.That same strength and courage is available to all of us who ask, no matter what the situation before us is.

''Think of the pivotal figures of biblical history. What common theme unites them? One built an ark when it likely had never rained, enduring the scorn of the masses. Another stood before Pharaoh with nothing but a rod in his hand and faith in his heart. A shepherd faced a giant; prophets spoke God's word at the peril of their lives; fishermen died for their Lord; the Son of God could have called ten thousand angels to his side but chose to suffer a horrific death for us.

Why do you need their courage today? The Lord who empowered and sustained them is ready to do the same for you. When David was captured by the Philistines, he prayed: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4). Is God waiting for you to make his prayer your own?"

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Psalm 138:3
When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me

May God bless you this day with his courage, in whatever situation has brought you sadness, or unrest or fearful uncertainties. May he fill you with courage and boldness as you follow him and seek his ways and may you find peace as you travel along your journey. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!