Be Strong and Courageous

[mr.T]

This has been on my mind all week. I know I need to be Strong and Courageous in all areas of my life. I looked it up in the Bible.

“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.” – Joshua 1:9

Isaiah 41:10​

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

Psalms 27:14​

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalms 27:14

1 Chronicles 28:20​

“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.'” – 1 Chronicles 28:20

Deuteronomy 31:6​

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

Courage is an essential quality that we, as believers, are called to embrace. It’s a reminder that even when life gets tough, we can draw strength from God’s promises and the community of faith around us. When we read the scriptures, we find numerous accounts where God encourages His people to be strong and courageous in the face of challenges. The beauty of courage is that it not only empowers us to face our fears but also inspires others to do the same.

I found a lot of verses, and I want to focus on their powerful messages and how they can transform our hearts and spirits to face each day with unwavering faith. We are overcomers, and if we stay strong in The Lord we can never be defeated.

Remember, God does not call us to live in fear; instead, He guides us to be strong and courageous, reminding us that He is our refuge in troubled times. Let us embrace this encouragement, knowing that His promises are ever-reliable.

2 Timothy 1:7​

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

Psalms 34:4​

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalms 34:4

Psalms 56:3​

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” – Psalms 56:3

Romans 8:31​

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

Isaiah 43:1​

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.'” – Isaiah 43:1

 

[Complete]

Hello @mr.T.

While reading through the OP, into my mind came the story of the spies who were sent out to reconnoitre the land of Canaan in Numbers 13. God had told Moses that He would give the land to the children of Israel, and they had witnessed His power and ability to save to the uttermost, during their wilderness journey. So, though confronted with what was in the land, in the form of fortressed townships, and individuals of great height and strength, they should have believed God and trusted Him to keep His word. Instead fear took over and they shrank from the seeming enormity of the task. God would have gone before them and fought for them, as at other times, but all of that experiential knowledge got buried beneath the testimony of the ten spies who gave a fearsome report. So they failed to believe God and trust Him to perform His word to them.

* When I read this, some time ago, it was read in conjunction with a reading of the book of Jeremiah that I was engaged in, and I had the words of God, related by Jeremiah ringing in my ears:-

"Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,
and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child:
for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee,
and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Be not afraid of their faces:
for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD."
(Jer 1:4-8)

* In verses 17-19, God then says to Jeremiah, :-

'Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise,
and speak unto them all that I command thee:
be not dismayed at their faces,
lest I confound thee before them.
For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city,
and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land,
against the kings of Judah,
against the princes thereof,
against the priests thereof, and
against the people of the land.
And they shall fight against thee;
but they shall not prevail against thee;
for I am with thee, saith the LORD,
to deliver thee.'
(Jer 1:17-19)

* This really made an impression on me, for Jeremiah needed to believe God, and trust Him against great odds. He would be made to go through experiences that were fearsome during the carrying out of God's will, so it was necessary that He believe God, in heart, soul and mind, and trust Him absolutely. For the task was so important that God had told him that if he were to even be dismayed at their faces, God would confound him before them. God is not messing about, He required total commitment regardless of what Jeremiah's eyes saw, his ears heard and the experiences he had to endure. He must trust and not be afraid, in the knowledge that God was indeed WITH HIM, and would deliver him, and his enemies would not prevail against him.

* We, who believe God, and the gospel we have heard concerning His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, have been given great assurance: We must believe God and trust in His power to save to the uttermost those that come unto Him for salvation, and walk as those who have been given the promise of life through His name, and walk in newness of life before the Father in spirit. Not fearful, but believing.

'And after eight days again His disciples were within,
and Thomas with them:
then came Jesus, the doors being shut,
and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side:
and be not faithless, but believing.
And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.'
(Joh 20:26-29)

Thank you for starting this thread.
giving the opportunity to share.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[mr.T]

@Complete

Thanks, I needed to hear that. A great assurance is just what I need.

 

[Complete]

' ... Be strong and of a good courage;
be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed:
for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest. '
(Jos 1:9 )

Hello @mr.T,

I take part on the forum, because I can communicate better through my fingertips than I can with my mouth. For I am afraid of peoples faces: especially when faced with unbelief. I get tongue-tied, and wither up, stutter, stammer and lose my thread So the words in Jeremiah were very much for me.

I just praise God that He has graciously given me this outlet, whereby I can communicate with others the joy of having the Lord in my life, and share His word, by which the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Christ and makes them ours.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[mr.T]

' ... Be strong and of a good courage;
be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed:
for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest. '
(Jos 1:9 )

Hello @mr.T,

I take part on the forum, because I can communicate better through my fingertips than I can with my mouth. For I am afraid of peoples faces: especially when faced with unbelief. I get tongue-tied, and wither up, stutter, stammer and lose my thread So the words in Jeremiah were very much for me.

I just praise God that He has graciously given me this outlet, whereby I can communicate with others the joy of having the Lord in my life, and share His word, by which the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Christ and makes them ours.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

When I was young I could not talk in a group of people but that changed when I was saved. I will be leading a seniors life group at church in a few hours today. We all talk about last Sunday's message. So I do understand where you are coming from, just hand in there.

This makes me think about God's word to us, the Bible and How He uses it to communicate with us. And the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth.

This topic would make a good Thread. Since Threads are a good platform to share ideas, ask questions, connect with people, and explore diverse conversations.

 

[Overjoyed]

Very good topic. I think we all need to be Courageous and Strong in the days we live in.

21 Behold, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has said to you. Fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 1:21

Fear is a common human emotion or experience. Many fear the unknown. Many fear death. Yet God calls believers not to live in fear.

“You are my servants; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

“Do not fear; I will help you” (Isa. 41:9–13).

 

[Dean]

Courageous and Strong

And don't let the fear of failure to ever get the upper hand.


The LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.
DEUTERONOMY 31:8

Atychiphobia—the paralyzing, recurring fear of failure. It’s a harsh taskmaster, leading its victims to a life of restraint and retreat. The worst of its side effects is that it results in a persistent refusal to try anything new.

Those who fear failure are paralyzed by the “r word”: risk. They may undermine their own efforts without even realizing it in an attempt to escape the anxiety of looming failure. Have you known people like that? I have—gifted people who might have done great things in life but wouldn’t, and couldn’t, because they were protecting themselves from disappointment.

Perhaps only a few of us are atychiphobes, but nearly all of us have felt the fear of failure to some degree. In fact, many of the most-admired people in the Bible experienced it. As I mentioned in the introduction to this book, the Bible identifies more than two hundred people who were afraid at one time or another. Some of them were afraid of failure!

 

[Aeliana]

One of my favorite verses is"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13

To me It is a statement of faith that with God's strength, we can endure hardships and overcome challenges, not that we can accomplish our own personal goals without effort, but that we can find contentment and strength in Christ through any circumstance.

 

[mr.T]

This true story is from 1 Samuel 17 in the Bible.

The soldiers all line up. A battle will begin. Who will be the bravest?
Who is going to win?

The Philistines cheer their hero, standing ten feet tall.
The giant called Goliath drove fear into all.

For forty days and nights, Goliath stomped and yelled,
“No one wants to fight me? You cowards of Israel!”

A shepherd boy named David lived on a farm nearby.
He cared for all his sheep and sang to God Most High.

With orders from his father and cheese that had a smell,
he went to find his brothers and heard Goliath yell.

David asked the soldiers, “Why will no one fight?”
His brother then accused him, “Your heart is just not right.”

So, David told King Saul, “He mocks the Lord on High.
Someone stop that giant! If you let me, I will try.”

David put on armor offered by the king.
It didn’t fit at all, so he chose his trusty sling.

He picked up five smooth stones as he crossed the brook.
He bravely met the giant who had an angry look.

Goliath laughed at David. “Your army sent a boy?”
The giant’s laugh grew louder, “Your sling is just a toy!”

David loaded up his sling, trusting God was there.
He spun a stone around, and flung it through the air.

The armies watched the stone and to everyone’s surprise,
it struck the mean, old giant right between the eyes.

God’s blessings were on David, who one day would be king.
Our greater King is coming—JESUS! Lord of everything.

So do not fear your battles, or giants who stomp and yell.
As God made David brave, he’ll make you strong as well.