July 23, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Courage

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

What a great assurance, we will never have to face anything in this life alone. Christ will always be beside us giving us the wisdom, guidance and strength that we need to make it through day by day.

A first grade teacher seated her students in a circle. She asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. One by one, each child got up and announced, "I'd like to be a nurse like my mother," or "I want to be a banker like my father," or "I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith."

The last child to speak was the most shy and timid little boy in the class. He said, "When I get big, I'm going to be a lion tamer in the circus. I'm going to face those animals with my whip and chair and make them leap through hoops of fire and obey all of my commands."

Seeing the disbelieving looks on the faces of his classmates that he could ever act so boldly or bravely, he was quick to reassure them, "Well, of course, I'll have my mother with me."

Prayer: Ask God's Spirit to help you remember the truth of his presence and to realize His strength in your life.

"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared."
~Eddie Rickenbacker