Ready. Set. Grow! Footsteps of Faith for a Life That Flourishes by Heidi St. JohnSample

For Such a Time As This

“David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.’ ” 1 Chronicles 28:20, NIV

Billy Graham said, “When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Boy, do we need some bravery right now from godly men and women. We can’t pass on what we don’t possess, so if we don’t possess courage, well, you get the idea. One of these days, our kids will be leading. Our time will be over. Our race will have been run.

In today’s passage David echoes God’s exhortation to Joshua before he led the people of God into the Promised Land (see Joshua 1:5-7). Throughout the Bible, we see similar instructions passed down from one leader to the next, one generation to the next. It’s your generation now, woman of God! This is your time to lead with courage.

The baton that Moses passed to Joshua has been passed on to you. The question is, will you run with it? It will require courage to run this race.

We’ve got a massive sin problem, and it’s going to take courage to look it in the face and deal with it. We’ve got sin in our churches. We accept things that God clearly has condemned. We have quietly allowed the egregious act of abortion to take the lives of millions of our most innocent. These things have happened on our watch.

We are now God’s chosen. We have been chosen by God to build His church.

We can look at this Old Testament example that was written for our instruction, our endurance, our encouragement, and our hope, and consider how we are to go about the work that God has chosen us to do for such a time as this. If we are going to stand for righteousness, and if we are to train our children to do the same thing, we have to have the courage today.

Christians have an opportunity to demonstrate the kind of courage that comes from God right now. Courage that comes from God is the courage to obey—for His glory, not for ours.

It’s going to take courage to set things right, but with God, all things are possible. What is God asking you to do right now that will require courage? How can you demonstrate righteous courage for your family and for those who are watching you?

Not sure? Ask. He’ll show you.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

I pray to emulate the courageous hearts of those who have come before, like Joshua, like Esther, who trusted Your providence and stood tall in the face of adversity.

Grant me, O Lord, the strength and courage to stand firm in the face of trials and tribulations.

Grant me a spirit of boldness to address the sins and injustices in our world, and to be a part of the solution, rather than a passive observer.

In this time of spiritual warfare, Lord, I ask for Your protection and support. I ask that You be my guide and my shield, leading me on the path of righteousness and standing with me as I confront the forces of darkness.

In the name of Your Son, Jesus, who is our ultimate example of courage and obedience, I pray. Amen.