Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church,

The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand. (Psalm 121:5)

Jan Pit

One who made a deep impression on me is Kosie, a young South African, suffering from Down 's syndrome. I wish you could have heard him pray; it was childlike, simple and full of faith. When he prayed I had the impression that he was so near to God that he could touch Him.

One day I asked him, "Kosie, how do you picture God?" He looked directly at me. Was my question too difficult for his simple mind? No, because his eyes began to twinkle. "As a shade, Uncle Jan, as a shade - look there he is..."

He pointed to his shadow and then he stood and jumped and ran all the time pointing to his shadow. "Look, Uncle Jan, He is always there!"

What a deep truth. "The Lord is your shade at your right hand."  Always visible when you walk in the light! Sometimes invisible when everything around is dark - either through sin or circumstances. But the shade is still there.

Matthew Henry, in his Bible commentary says, "The God of Israel is sometimes a God who hides Himself, but never a God who absents Himself; sometimes in the dark, but never at a distance."

In the light and in the dark, in storm and shine, "The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand."

Copyright [C] 1995 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church,


David prays for forgiveness and deliverance. He is surrounded by enemies, but he does not ask the Lord to destroy them. He asks for forgiveness instead, as if the enemy had been able to come near because of his own mistakes. Forgiveness is central. Only after that, he talks about deliverance.

David

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.
(Psalm 25:1-7)

[Judy Harder]

Noah

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family... (Hebrews 11:7)

...and he walked with God.  (Genesis 6:9)

An extraordinary aspect of Hebrews 11 is that it tells the story of people who all did something which no one else had ever done before. They stepped out into the unknown.

Noah built an ark though there was no precedent he could look to for assistance. Nobody had ever built an ark before, simply because there had never been a flood before. Noah must have been regarded as an eccentric and his sons as simple people who foolishly followed in their father's steps of faith.

In blind, unquestioning faith Noah acted on God's revelation. "Noah did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22). In doing so he showed his unwavering faith and absolute obedience.

His secret, he walked with God amidst adversity. Throughout this year we will face circumstances which may seem absurd but let us learn from Noah that those who walk with God will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

[Judy Harder]

...Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things: I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!  (Matthew 25:21)

Noah

The building of the ark is the longest test of faith recorded in the Word of God. For one hundred and twenty years Noah was a preacher of righteousness which included God's impending judgment. He persevered in his faith though all the circumstances were against him. He did not receive any confirmation that he was on the right track, neither did he get any outsider on his side. What faithfulness, to preach, to evangelize for a hundred and twenty years and not have one convert.

Faith does not look for signs or confirmation. It simply follows God's direction and instructions.

To those who walk by faith God says, "Well done!" Not, good and successful servant, but "good and faithful servant." God does not look for success, but for faithfulness. Then those faithful ones may hear the most beautiful words, "come and share your master's happiness!"

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church,


Come, let us bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture...
Today, if you hear his voice
do not harden your hearts...
(Psalm 95:6-8)

Noah

For one hundred and twenty years Noah preached by word and deed, against the corruption and violence of his time. He warned of the forthcoming judgment, but not one man or woman believed. For more than one hundred years the people saw the ark of rescue, but all refused to heed or accept Noah's warning, including even the workmen, who helped Noah build the boat, who heard Noah's witness and observed his godly life. Because of their unbelief they perished outside the boat they themselves had worked on. What a tragedy - so near and yet so far. Time has not changed man. God still warns people of impending judgment. He still offers rescue through the ark of salvation, Jesus Christ.

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man, two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day our Lord will come" (Matthew 24:37-40, 42).

"Come; let us bow down before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God..." (Psalm 95:6, 7).

[Judy Harder]

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
(Genesis 9:13)

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him...  (Revelation 1:7)

Noah

Noah lived in one of the most difficult times of history. In a world without God, where people were egocentric and corrupt. "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man ... and his heart was filled with pain ... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord!" (Genesis 6:5-8).  After God's punishment Noah entered a new era in the history of the world, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds ... the covenant between me and the earth." (Genesis 9:13).

The rainbow was a reminder of the past and an assurance for the future, a visible sign of God's promise. Though at the end of this age the earth will once again be destroyed (by fire) mankind lives in a time of grace and promise. Before God will destroy the earth something else will become visible in the clouds - not a rainbow - but the Son of Man.  Between Noah's rainbow and Christ's return we can walk with God. That means walking in God's direction. It involves a break with those who walk in the opposite direction. We may belong to the few who walk in His direction, but we have a great crowd of witnesses surrounding us. Men and women who dared take a stand for Christ. Let us therefore run with perseverance with our eyes fixed on Jesus - until we see Him at His glorious return.

[Judy Harder]

be strong in the Lord ... put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Noah

The Bible is an honest book. It not only speaks of Noah's faith in God, but also reveals his weaknesses. Two verses from Scripture show the difference:

"Noah built an altar to the Lord..." (Genesis 8:20).

"Noah ... proceeded to plant a vineyard" (Genesis 9:20).

In the first instance he was in the presence of God whereas in the vineyard he was tempted by the devil. Victory and defeat are at either extreme, but never far apart.

"...your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:.

The hour of victory can easily become the hour of defeat. We will never be out of reach of temptation. We should always have the shield of faith in our hands as part of our spiritual armor. To "walk with God" does not come automatically. It requires a daily exercise of entering into His presence, listening to His instructions and following them without reservation.

Those who do so will have the experience of never walking alone.

[Judy Harder]

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:

Noah

In a time of moral darkness and corruption, Noah walked with God. When God wanted to destroy the human race, Noah found favor in God's eyes.

When we complain about the world in which we live, let us learn these important lessons from Noah's life.

1.        That it is possible to walk with God in spite of surrounding lawlessness and godlessness.

2.        That Noah was obedient when God asked him to accomplish a strange and difficult task.

3.        That Noah warned his neighbors of impending judgment, thus offering them a way of repentance.

4.        That Noah was protected and saved by God, who honored his faith by an everlasting promise.

When the waters of judgment covered the earth, Noah was safe within the Ark. What a wonderful illustration the Ark affords of Jesus Christ who preserves us from the fire of judgment which will come to our world.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Romans 5:1).

There is hope - for you and your family, whatever the circumstances may be.

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church,

David composed this psalm when he had to flee from Absalom. What a tragedy when you have to flee from your own child!

The people reacted in an inhumane manner "God will not deliver him." He had every reason to complain. But David did not do that. He declares that the Lord God is always near, especially in times of pain and suffering. For him it was not mere theory but a practical experience of God's nearness.

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."

David

O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him."
But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
(Psalm 3)

[Judy Harder]

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. (Luke 6:28)

Irina Ratushinskaya

Almost every demand from Christ seems impracticable. If we, however, want to follow the Lord, then there is no other way. More than once I experienced this from the KGB prisons.

The response of the world to the tormentors of the KGB is hatred, and every hour, the KGB gives more reasons to hate them. But I soon noticed that if I hated them as well, I would be eaten up from within. I have seen fellow prisoners so filled with hatred that they lost their mind and so destroyed their personality. And that's exactly what the KGB wants.

How should we as Christians control these feelings? Christ commanded us to cast out hatred by love. That is not easy. This demand by Christ seems impracticable. But there is no other way.

"Pray for those who mistreat you." Such a prayer may save them, but in any case it will save us.

Writer for the month - Irina Ratushinskaya from Russia was imprisoned for seven years in a labor camp. She has written about her experiences in a moving book entitled Grey is the Colour of Hope published by Sceptre Books, 1989.