Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
(Philippians 2:10-11)

Horacio Herrera

When Paul wrote to the churches in Rome, he knew about their situation. They had no reason to comfortably celebrate their new life in Christ Jesus. On the contrary, they experienced painful separation from family members when they were discovered in their religious practices. They knew how real the lion's den was in their own city. But he had a message of hope for them (Romans 8:28-39). Death would not be able to separate them from Christ. Fallen angels or demons had no power over them. Worldly powers are under God's control.

The present is passing by.

The future is in Christ's hands.

The heights are still under the King.

The depths cannot keep those who die in Christ.

Anything else in all creation can do no harm to those who belong to the family of believers.

We, and they, will one day bow down before the King of Kings and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will have to confess, we will do so with all of our hearts, you are the Christ, our Savior and our Lord.

[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]

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. (Psalm 20:7-8)

Andrés Noriega

We live in a time where materialism is defended, where being an atheist is normal, and being a Christian abnormal. Many people criticize our faith saying it is a remnant of the past, of colonialism and exploitation. They conclude that the church is for the weak, a shelter for the defeated.  According to their philosophy our faith is a failure and the Christian race will soon become extinct, to make place for a new, perfect society.

Communism nevertheless, has lost its grip. They are the ones that have failed. The new, perfect society turned out to be a utopia. The church, on the other side, has grown. The weak Christians turned out to be so strong that all atheistic teaching could not destroy them. The so-called faint-hearted, turned out to be people full of hope, joy and power.

Today's society is in a bad shape, while the Church of Jesus Christ awaits the return of the King of kings, Jesus our Lord. "They are brought down and fall, but we rise and stand firm."

Trust in the name of the Lord our God and stand firm with us.

[Judy Harder]

It is not good for the man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18)

Gustavo Figueroa

Many novels have been published about the ordeal of people who managed to survive in lonely places. Think of The Count of Monte Cristo which describes the ordeals of a man who was confined to a cell in a fortress, where he spent many years in complete isolation. Or think of Robinson Crusoe, surviving on an island, or Treasure Island which tells the story of a man who was abandoned on an island.

We enjoy these books and admire the people who survived, despite extreme problems and circumstances, often feeling forgotten and very, very lonely. To feel lonely, however, does not mean that you are without company. One can live among crowds of people and still feel very, very lonely.

Our Scripture for today says, "It is not good for the man to be alone." The Lord wants us to pay attention to those who are lonely, forgotten, and alone.  Let us pray for them today, especially for those who are in prison for their faith in Jesus Christ. Let us pray for a believer who stands alone in a Muslim village. Let us do something for a person in our own neighborhood who has no friends, or for one who experiences great sorrow or pain, for whom we can become a blessing in a time of need.

[Judy Harder]

I will be with you. (Exodus 3:12)

Gustavo Figueroa

Many great men of God experienced loneliness. In the coming days we will take a closer look at some of them. Moses was such a man. Though we remember him as a man who spoke to God face to face (Exodus 33:11), we also know from the Scriptures that he was a very lonely man. From the time he was a baby, lying in a basket, until the time he climbed Mount Nebo to see the Promised Land, he walked alone. Though he was living in a palace, he felt alone, because his heart was with his people, Israel. While tending the sheep in the desert, he was lonely, living in exile for forty years.

It was on one of those days, while tending the flock on the far side of the desert, that the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. Moses must have thought many times that he was alone, that God must have forgotten him, but he was never alone. The Lord accompanied him wherever he went. The experience at the burning bush was imprinted in such a way that he realized: I never walk alone.

Whether we experience God's presence, or walk in the desert alone, His word says, "I will be with you, now and always."

[Judy Harder]

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me ... But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. (2 Timothy 4:16-17)

Gustavo Figueroa

Do you hear Paul's disappointment in these words? And rightly so. He had led hundreds, if not thousands of people to the Lord. Churches were planted, the lordship of Jesus Christ was proclaimed and the Gospel was preached in many towns and countries. That led to his imprisonment and trial. 

When he entered the courtroom he must have looked around to see where his friends, the Christians, were sitting. He saw no one. What a disappointment that must have been. The moment he needed them most, they were absent. In fact, it was even worse. Not only were they absent, they had deserted him.

One can find excuses for not being in the courtroom. Too dangerous, to busy with other things, maybe even praying for Paul at home. But "everyone deserted me" is done voluntarily. They wanted nothing to do with Paul.

We, who live in countries where we also have to appear in court, often feel like Paul. Forgotten, even deserted. "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." This wonderful experience does not relieve us of our responsibility. We have a part to play, willingly and lovingly. And so encourage a lonely brother in need.

[Judy Harder]

I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. (Genesis 32:10)

Gustavo Figueroa

I have a tendency to dislike Jacob. I always think of him as the liar, deceiver and crook. Indeed a man who was unworthy of God's kindness and faithfulness. And yet that is exactly what the Lord did show to Jacob. Instead of looking at Jacob's failures, let us look at God's goodness and realize that we, who are no better than Jacob, may experience the same goodness of our loving Father.

When Jacob was running away from home, after lying to his old, blind father, and after deceiving his brother, he stopped "because the sun had set" (Genesis 28:11). "Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and He said, 'I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac ... I am with you, and will watch over you wherever you go.'"

What an experience. Jacob felt alone (and we would add, rightly so!) but he was still accompanied by angels and in the presence of God himself. That's why he testified, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it" (Genesis 28:12).

It strikes me when I read, "The angels of the Lord were ascending and descending" (Genesis 28:12). We would have figured that they were descending (from God to Jacob) first. But no, they were already with Jacob, the deceiver, the liar, the crook. Not to approve his actions, but because the Lord said, "I will not leave you..."

Great is His faithfulness.

Gustavo Figueroa from Cuba. An itinerant evangelist, he writes using a pseudonym.

[Judy Harder]

But while Joseph was there in the prison the Lord was with him. (Genesis 39:20-21)

Gustavo Figueroa

If ever there was a man who could have doubted God's plans for his life, it was Joseph. Sold by his brothers, thrown into prison, in a foreign land; surely a man without future. In spite of it all, this young man remained faithful to God. He stood firm in times of temptation, and paid the price for it, imprisonment.

Humanly speaking he should have been rewarded by God for his faithfulness. It seems so difficult to understand God's ways. For us, who know the end of the story, it is easy to understand. But Joseph did not know the final outcome. The only thing he experienced was sorrow, pain and punishment.

But Joseph changed his prison into a place of worship. "But while Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him."

It is very possible that you too have experienced times of seeming defeat, loneliness, lack of support. You have concluded that nobody cares about your situation. But remember: The God who was with Joseph is with you today, whatever the circumstances.

[Judy Harder]

He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. (1 Kings 19:4)

Gustavo Figueroa

From the mountain of victory, to the mountain of despair. That was the experience of Elijah and often our experience as well.

"Elijah was a man just like us" (James 5:17). He had just witnessed God's power at Mount Carmel. Fire had come down from heaven in a miraculous way. Instead of repenting before God, Jezebel was furious. "May the gods deal with me ... if by this time tomorrow I do not make your (Elijah's) life like that of one of them" (the priests who died). Elijah did not fear the threats of 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, but he feared the threat of one woman.

He was so downcast that he wanted to die. At least, that is what he said. But did he really want to die? If so, all he had to do was show himself to Jezebel. She would have loved to accommodate him.

"Elijah was a man just like us," knowing the joy of victory and experiencing the pain of defeat. But the Lord had more work for him to do. "Go back the way you came."

No time to complain. Let's get up and do what God expects us to do.

Gustavo Figueroa from Cuba. An itinerant evangelist, he writes using a pseudonym.

[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.