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courage

Be Courageous

by TerryLema

There was another mass shooting. This time in Lewiston, Maine. Eighteen people died at the hands of one crazed man. Sadness. Disbelief. Confusion. Abound.

The one voice that keeps repeating in my mind was that of a young girl who was injured. She was shot in the leg. She sat next to her mother as they were interviewed about their experience. After expressing her amazement that being shot was part of her life experience now, she asked a profound question, “Why do people do these things?”

Indeed, why do people do these things?

Evil is in this world. We can give it all kinds of modern definitions, but ultimately it comes down to the fact that evil is a real presence among us.

Jesus said, “You will have suffering [tribulation] in this world.” But then He did not end there. He reminded His listeners to “Be courageous!” because He had “conquered the world.” [John 16:33 HCSB]

As children of God, we do not have to be afraid. Cautious, yes. Wise, yes. But afraid, No.  Jesus has given those who have surrendered their lives to Him the ability to be courageous. He has provided the strength to face the world’s evils knowing that even if they kill this body, they cannot divert our eternal destiny from that day when we will be with Him in glory.

Thank you, LORD, for the courage to face this world’s evil. Thank you, LORD, that you have conquered the world. Amen.

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by TerryLema

Recently I read my way through the Book of Joshua.  Three times in four verses in Chapter 1, God says to Joshua “be strong and very courageous.”  [Joshua 1:6, 7, 9]

One of the things about being courageous is that it is not the absence of fear.  It is moving forward to do what needs to be done in spite of the fear that might exist.  In fact, if there was no fear present, why would God even need to tell Joshua to “be strong and very courageous?”

Life can be scary.  We are always facing the unknown.  If we could just see what tomorrow holds, whether it will be easy or difficult, maybe we could prepare.  That’s why astrology, fortune telling, and the like are so prevalent in our culture.  Those things promise to reveal our unknown futures.  Of course, they can’t.  The only one who knows our tomorrows is the Lord.

Paul writes in Romans 8 a list of things that are powerless to separate us from the love of God.  He says that neither the present nor the future has the power to separate.  Isn’t that an amazing statement!  We need not fear what is ahead because God is able to keep us through all the unknowns.  We can be strong and very courageous because nothing, present or future, will be able to separate us from the love of our Lord.

Rom 8:38-39:  For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to  come, hostile powers,  height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!.  [HCSB]

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Fortitude

by TerryLema

His mother’s name is Yulia Pisetskaya. We do not know his name, only his age and his courage.  He is 11 years old. He traveled from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, to the Slovakia border, nearly 700 miles. What is so notable is that he traveled alone with only a few possessions in a plastic bag, his passport, and the phone number of relatives in Slovakia written on his hand.

He and his family lived close to the nuclear plant that came under attack from Russian forces. In desperation his mother sent him off on his own. She herself was unwell and was taking care of her disabled mother and could not travel with him.

If I had to describe that young man (and his mother), I would use one word, fortitude.  Fortitude means courage in pain or adversity.

From what I understand, this young men began on a train, was on a bus, and walked. People along the way, along with the border guards, aided him in finding his family. Still, what courage it must have taken to say goodbye to your mother and travel nearly 700 miles in the midst of war. And what courage his mother must have had to send her 11-year-old son on his trip alone.

The Scriptures have a lot to say about being courageous. As people of the LORD, we are to face the adversities of this world with fortitude. Right before His death, Jesus reminded His disciples that an hour was coming when they would be scattered and leave Him alone.  “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” [John 16:33 HCSB]

Initially when Jesus was betrayed, His disciples were not so courageous, but following His resurrection and ascension, fortitude invaded their souls in the power of God’s Spirit, and they faced whatever this world threw at them with great courage.

Now it is our turn to display that same courage and fortitude.

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Very Courageous

by TerryLema

“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]

That command to be strong and courageous was given twice to Joshua at the command of God in Deuteronomy. [31:6, 23]

It was given to Joshua three times by the LORD in the opening chapter of the Book of Joshua and echoed once by the people back to Joshua.  In Joshua 1:7, God even added the adjective ‘very.’ “Be strong and very courageous.” [1:6, 7, 9, 18]

They were at the border of the Promised Land. Moses was dead. Those who had experienced the power of God in the Exodus from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army were dead. Joshua knew the kinds of people (giants) that were across that border. He was one of the 12 spies sent there earlier to survey the land, and 1 of only 2 who brought back a favorable report. Caleb was the other.

Now they had arrived and the job to take the land … without the power of Moses behind him … was all Joshua’s. God wanted Joshua to know with a certainty that while Moses was not there, He was.  “….for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 God wanted Joshua to understand that what made Moses the powerful man of God that he was, was the Presence of the LORD God with him. Now that same Presence was with Joshua to enable him to also be that powerful man of God.

And what did Jesus say to us?  “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Matt 28:20 NKJV]

Be strong, church, and very courageous. We are in a land of giants!

 

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Commissioned

by TerryLema

I have been writing a daily devotion of encouragement on and off since the early 1990’s. I email, post on TerrysDevotions.com, and on Facebook each day. I can tell by the number of readers and the number of times a devotion is shared just what is resonating with people. Lately, that has been encouragements about being strong and courageous.

Fear is abounding. Fear of sickness or death from a virus. Fear of unemployment and the inability to feed or care for our families. Fear of losing businesses worked so hard to establish. Fear that our children’s futures will be diminished by schools closing and sports or other activities abandoned. The media drives fear home every day.

As Christians, we are not supposed to succumb to fear, but I would be extremely foolish if I said that was easy. It is not. However, just because being fearless is not easy makes it even more worthwhile.

Acts 21-23 tells the story of Paul’s return to Jerusalem after a missionary journey. He was arrested in the temple on false charges and had to be rescued by a Roman commander. When Paul tried to explain by giving his testimony, a riot ensued. The Roman arrested Paul and ordered him beaten (until he found out Paul was a Roman citizen). Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin to also testify, but another uproar broke out and the Roman commander once again had to remove Paul. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” [23:11]

Eventually Paul did testify in Rome, after testifying before Felix the Governor, Festus his successor, King Agrippa and Bernice, and after surviving a shipwreck. Paul’s testimony eventually resounded through Caesar’s court and changed the world. But it was not easy. And it took much courage.

Paul understood one thing, however, one thing that we too must understand. God had already commissioned Paul’s testimony in Rome. Nothing was going to hinder or stop that, not governors or kings or shipwrecks. Paul’s courage was based on God’s Word to Him.

Our courage must also be based on God’s Word to us – not something we stir up in our own strength. God’s Word to our generation is as clear as it was to Paul — “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [Matt 28:18-20]

Be strong, beloved, and courageous – surely He is with us always, even to the very end of this age.

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Open Doors

by TerryLema

The Way has opened its doors. We are trying our best to follow the guidelines set up for gatherings. It was an important decision to open, one that we did not take lightly nor without considering the issues with this current virus-and-fear pandemic. But open the doors, we did, on Mother’s Day. As part of that opening I made the announcement that our doors will stay open.

That was also not an easy decision to make. What if there is a spike? What if people we love come down with the virus? What if the Governor of Idaho changes his mind and decides that churches are to close once again? We had to consider those things as well as the exhortation we so often quote in Hebrews 10:25: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing”

Right now, the state and local governments are issuing directives or orders. At present, they are not laws which carry penalties for breaking them. The reasoning behind these directives and orders is to stem the spread of a virus, but as we all know, the enemy of our soul wants nothing better than to stem the spread of the Gospel. He will use this pandemic (and anything else) to try to do so.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States cannot be clearer: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

This may seem like a political post, but it is not meant to be. As Christians, Christ has set us free. We are free from sin and bondage and free to worship our LORD and Savior. That is a freedom our founding fathers cherished.

The heroes who founded our nation fought for the right to exercise their faith freely. They passed that right on to us by enshrining it in the Constitution, but we would do well to remember that rights and privileges can be overruled and one day might even disappear. Let us guard well our freedom to gather as Believers in Christ openly and often.

If you are afraid to visit a church, or if you are vulnerable or sick, there are many online opportunities to worship, but for those of us who can, and want to, let us not give up meeting together. It is vital that we don’t lose the national freedoms purchased for us by our founding fathers. And let’s be very aware how vital it is we don’t lose the freedoms Christ purchased for us also. Be strong and courageous beloved.

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