True Courage

Scriptures:  Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Genesis 6:8-22 - But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Whose are you? Have you ever asked yourself this question? If you haven’t, you should because the answer is key to how you move forward, and if your courage is true or false. Courage is defined as “fearlessness in the face of danger” by KJV index. Merriam Webster defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty”. So, whose are you? According to Matthew 6:24, “no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”.

Therefore, you can only belong to God or the world. True courage is rooted and grounded in a sure foundation of faith in God. False courage has an unstable foundation of faith in the world system. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus talks about two foundations. True courage will stand because you’re trusting that God will see you through whatever you’re dealing with, as he has done in the past. God is immutable (unchangeable, Malachi 3:6). False courage will crumble because you’re trusting in the world system instituted by Satan whose ultimate goal is your destruction.

Noah is an example of true courage. Noah’s courage, rooted in his faith in God, endured. Judas Iscariot is an example of false courage. Judas’s courage, rooted in in greed for the world’s mammon, crumbled and resulted in his destruction. In our time, courage is needed as we, followers of the Way, face increased persecution, so we must encourage one another in the Lord. Parents, have the courage to pray with and for your children. Brothers, have the courage to become the man God created you to be. Sisters, have the courage to become the woman God created you to be. Children, have the courage to honor your parents in the Lord. Pastors, have the courage to fulfill your calling according to God’s word. To my brothers and sisters around the world, let us have true courage and to be as bold as Joshua in hid declaring that we have “chosen whom we will serve… and we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Prayer:  Dear Lord, in whom we live, move and have our being, help us your children to courageously follow You, and trust You in all things at all times. Forgive us when we lack courage and sin against You. Help us to daily take up our cross and follow You regardless of how the world treats us. Look how they treated You, Immanuel. You are our best and perfect example of true courage. You sacrificed yourself for us so that Your death, burial and resurrection, the most courageous act ever done, would be our salvation. We thank and praise You in Jesus name. Amen.
 
(by Juliana Thomas)