True Faith Results in Courage

Faith and courage are interesting things.  So often we say we don't have it when God instructs us to do something, yet we show it in another not so great way.  Now, Paul defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.  It causes us to be double minded as James spoke of in chapter 1.  Verses 6 - 8, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

Looking through the Bible, I see several instances of folks being double-minded.  Pure faith, means that I have to do things afraid.  That no matter how I "feel", faith gives me courage and allows me to do it anyway.  Let's look at a few examples of this through the Scriptures.

If we look at the literal meanings of faith and courage, the dictionary defines each word as follows:

Faith - Confidence or trust in a person or thing; belief that is not based on truth;

Courage - The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear.  Bravery.

Both words require my mind to be in the right place.  I believe there is another definition, that faith is me acting in spite not in response to my fear, which results in courage.  Yesterday, I spoke of acting versus re-acting, this is another instance of it.  I can either act, and do God's will, or re-act to the stimulus of the circumstances in my life.  There are so many stories of this in the Bible.  What folks put their faith "in", inspired their action or re-actions.

1. Moses - After killing someone, he flees for his life.  Why?  He was the grandson of Pharaoh, he had killed a "guard".  What reason would he have had to be afraid that he would be put to death for this?  He was of much greater worth in their hierarchy than a servant of Pharaoh.  He ran because he did not have faith that he would not get into trouble.  He neither had faith in who he was, or the courage to face what he had done.  What if he had faced the music?  Who knows he probably would have been exonerated, and continued to know the luxury of living in the palace.  He also would have done nothing to help his people.  Staying as a prince, over time he would have had no interest in the plights of the slaves.  God causes him to run and hide in the desert for 40 years.  When God comes to him 4 decades later, in a burning bush and tells him he needs to go back and help the slaves.  His first response exhibits his faith in the his fears, which destroyed his courage.  Yet, he argues with God about his inability to speak clearly.  He clearly speaks to God that he is unable to speak clearly!  What a contradiction.  He has the faith and courage to argue with God about his perceived inabilities, but not to do what He has commanded?
2. Barak - I have blogged about this story before.  Deborah and Barak are an amazing team.  However, they were not intended to be a team.  God has been telling Barak to go fight Sisera, yet he has not moved.  He doesn't go until Deborah comes to him and "reminds" him he has been instructed by God to attack their oppressors.  He shows his faith in his inabilities, and destroys his courage by stating he will only go if Deborah goes with him.  His faith in Deborah was stronger than his faith in God.  He was re-acting to his fear, instead of acting in faith.  Jael acted in faith.  She hammered a tent peg through his temple.  Do you think she had no fear while she walked up to him?  He was drugged, he was simply sleeping.  He could have woken up at any time.  I envision her hands shaking as she approached, and her holding her breath as she positioned the stake over his head.  Quivering fingers as she raised the hammer, and then drove it home.  She had more faith in what she knew she had to do, than in him waking up.  Her faith resulted in courage.
3. Esther - A young Jewess is selected to be the next queen, after the former one disrespects the king.  However, she is instructed by her cousin Mordecai to keep her ancestry a secret.  Haman, the king's second hand man, hated her cousin and his hatred led to his desire to destroy every Jew.  He devised a plan to get rid of all of them, and tricked the king into signing their death warrants.  Esther had to go before the king to deal with this, however he had not called her in quite sometime into his presence.  It was a death sentence to go into him unsummoned, unless he pardoned the indulgence.  She has everyone pray and fast for her, and she does the same.  She summons up her courage by having faith that God will take care of the situation.  It turns out well, and because of her faith and courage, Haman's duplicity is uncovered and the Israelites are allowed to protect themselves and survive.
4. Peter - Where do you start with this disciple?  Peter continually wavered between faith and doubt.  Courage and cowardice.  The most infamous of all of his exploits is probably his ascertain that he would never turn his back on Christ, then denies he even knows him 3 times.  He re-acted, on both occasions.  Both times he came from emotion, he didn't act from faith at all.  Yet, in Acts he stands before a large crowd and preaches to them, converting 3000 in that one day.  His faith was renewed and courage ensued.

The facts are very obvious, when we act in faith, God gives us courage.  He tells them in Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them."  He is calling him to act in faith, when he does strength and courage will follow.

He tells us the same, that each and every time that we will step out in faith, He will give us the strength and courage to finish it.  This is why Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." 

Each of the stories above, shows where people had to face their fear or run from it.  God only gives us strength and courage when we walk in faith that it is His ability to get us through whatever it is He has brought us to face.  

So you have to ask yourself, "What do I have faith in?"

Father,
Thank You for teaching us how to connect with you, and the importance of doing so.  Thank You that Your word shows us not only the successes, but the failures.  That You do not expect us to be anyone other than who we are.  We praise You that You consistently show us how to follow You, and the benefits of doing so.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy.


In Jesus name,
Amen