“Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well.” 2 Chronicles 19:11
“You’re right. I am a coward. I haven’t any courage at all!” If you’ve ever seen The Wizard of Oz, you probably remember the Cowardly Lion saying those words to Dorothy. The dictionary tells us that courage is the strength to withstand danger or fear. That was something the Cowardly Lion lacked.
Fear and courage are often mentioned in the Bible. The command do not fear appears more than any of the Ten Commandments. There are many things in our sinful world that can make us afraid. Those fears are called phobias, of which we find over 500 listed on the web.
Time and again the Lord told his people to be strong and courageous. In fact those exact words are found eleven times in Scripture, including three times in Deuteronomy 31 and three more times in Joshua 1. God’s people needed courage. Moses needed it when he stood before Pharaoh. Jacob needed it when he faced his brother, Esau. Gideon needed it when he fought the Midianites with an army of only 300. Daniel needed it on his way to the lion’s den. Esther needed it when she approached the king. And Stephen needed it when his enemies began picking up stones.
What provided them all with courage? It was their faith in Jesus Christ and his promise to always be there for them. Second Corinthians 5:6,7 (ESV) tells us, “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” David wrote it this way in Psalm 27:14 (ESV), “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
From Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer