Have Faith - October Edition

Day 18
Courage...
I remember a young soldier who joined our
Battalion some years ago. He was a thin, wiry
fellow with a very pleasant attitude and a very
friendly approach. His politeness was incredible.
Just five minutes spent with him would
tell you that this was a lad who had been
taught so many good values in life. His parents
and school had clearly done a fantastic
job in raising him. The problem was he was
not seen as a typical infantry soldier. For that,
he was seen as weak and to be in the wrong
place. Yet, he didn't quit. By the time I left the
Battalion, he had done very well for himself,
he had been promoted to the rank of
Sergeant and was a highly respected character.
He still wasn't the biggest guy in the world
but he was not one to be picked on. The Bible
tells us of a similar character in the Old Testament.
In 1 Samuel, we learn of how a small
lad defeated the huge Goliath, a fearsome
warrior clad in Armour and heavily armed.
Yes, we all know the story of David and Goliath
but in both of our cases here consider
the courage of the underdog. But before we
do this, let's define courage. What is
Be Strong and Courageous...
Ephesians 6:10-18.
courage? Doing brave things? Doing things
nobody else would do? Maybe we see these
thrill seekers and daredevils having courage
(Personally, I think they have a death wish
and are totally bonkers but that's just me). No,
to all of the above. True courage is very simple.
It is the presence of fear yet the will to go
on. You don't have to show outstanding qualities
to possess courage. In fact, it is the
weakest among us who show the most
courage. In both of our examples today, the
smaller, weaker man overcame his fear in the
face of overwhelming odds to triumph. Both
of them were not given a snowballs chance in
a furnace but by believing in themselves and
believing that God had their back, they overcame.
Do you have a situation that terrifies
you? Do you feel you are not good enough or
brave enough to do what must be done?
Does it feel that the odds are stacked against
you? This is where you will show true
courage. Take heart, trust in God and trust
yourself and despite your fear go forward focused
on your goal. This is not my advice, this
comes directly out of the ultimate book of life.
Have Faith 17 |