A few blogs back I wrote “Courage in the Midst of Distress.” This week I am adding another dimension – one that provides more substance. Think of it like adding a flour-and-water mixture to juice of a pot-roast to make gravy. The first blog was the juice and this week’s blog is the mixture that makes the gravy.
The first blog was the juice and this week’s blog is the mixture that makes the gravy.As I was thinking about this week’s blog, “Faith in Time of Stress,” I read Psalm 6. David, who became King of Israel, wrote about his experience of faith in time of stress. The big difference between David’s eloquent Psalm and my inelegant blog is that David put his to music. I did not.
In Psalm 6 David states his time of stress with what he feared to be a terminal illness because of his sin. He writes, “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.”
David cries out in faith and courage saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But You, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?”
Faith triumphs. Then, David proclaimed, “The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”
As I began to type, a little junco flew against the porch window where I was sitting. It startled me, but then, I watched to see what it would do. The bird sat there probably trying to figure out what had just happened. It was still upright so I could tell it was not badly injured.
After a few minutes of assessing itself to see if anything was broken, the junco cautiously ventured a few steps and stopped. That took courage on the part of the bird. It’s like that with human beings, too. When faced with a situation of uncertainty, we assess our circumstance and consider our options before we step out in courage. The steps we take may be small, but nevertheless, they are steps of courage.
After a few more minutes, the bird hopped across the deck. I could see it look up to the railing. C’mon, little bird, you can do it,” I coaxed.
The bird flew up to the railing and a couple of minutes later, it flew to a nearby tree. That is how it is with man – courage is set in motion when it is fueled by faith.
If it were possible with birds, its courage and faith became as inseparable companions much like the more realistic King David and Jonathan had in the book of 1 Samuel. Jonathan showed much courage as King Saul’s son to warn his friend David of the danger David faced from the king. It took faith on David’s part to trust in his friendship with Jonathan to believe him and take action to escape from Saul.
My conclusion is that courage is fueled by faith and faith is displayed by courageous action. So, may I encourage you to be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be overwhelmed but believe that God is with you wherever you go. Go with courage and be confident in whatever situation you may be in that God is leading you.