Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

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]

and do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them. (Numbers 14:9)

Caleb

What was the difference between Joshua and Caleb and the other ten spies? All twelve of them had been in the promised land. All of them had seen the fruit of the land. All knew of the giants who lived there. The latter, the presence of giants separated Joshua and Caleb from the other ten. They had all seen the same, but they differed in their judgment of the situation.

The ten compared their own strength to that of the giants. The two compared the strength of the giants to that of the Lord. The ten viewed themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the giants. The two viewed the giants as grasshoppers in comparison to God.

Yes, Caleb even added that the giants would serve as food for them, "we will swallow them up." The bigger the giant the greater the meal.

Yet Joshua and Caleb were not super-spiritual. They acknowledged the presence of giants, the enemy for they had seen them for themselves. But ... they saw more; they saw God. When you see God in His greatness, even giants look as small as grasshoppers.

It is good to acknowledge your problems, but it is wrong and dangerous to focus all your attention on them. There is another reality. There is a God, whom Caleb refers to as, "The Lord is with us, do not be afraid of them!"

"Lord, open our eyes so that we can see. Really see!"

[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]

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...
(Psalms 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]

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.

[Judy Harder]

..Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this crag. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering. (Judges 6:25-26)

Gideon

Servanthood starts at home. Before Gideon could lead the people back to their God, he had to get rid of the idols in his own home.

Serving God does not start on the mission field but at home, in your own church and family. That is often the hardest place to serve. It seems much easier to take the Gospel to far away peoples than to share Christ with your family and friends. But those who are ashamed of Christ at home will never be able to serve Him abroad. 

Conversion starts with, "turning your back on..." Coming to Christ means turning your back on your idols, whatever they may be. With this command Gideon's mission started. "Tear down your father's altar." That could cause a very negative reaction from his father. But Gideon was obedient to God. It is true that Gideon was afraid to be so radical. He did it at night, but he did it ... "Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon" (Judges 6:34).

It will always be that way. Is there a Baal idol in your life? Whatever it may be, tear it down, get rid of it. Then God will fill you with a new spirit, the Holy Spirit.

[Judy Harder]

I will place a wool fleece on the threshing-floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said. (Judges 6:37)

Gideon

Was it alright for Gideon to ask for a sign? Wasn't he filled with the Holy Spirit? Hadn't he heard God's voice already? What more did he want?

The fact that God granted Gideon's request, does not mean He agreed with him. But God understands our human weaknesses and treats us with godly patience. God goes to meet us and meets us just where we are.

So to "put down a fleece" and ask for a sign time and time again, is this right?

God gave us His Word as a light for our path and a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105). If God's Word is God's will for your life, He will guide you by that Word. That is no mysterious or magic act. It means: walking with God.

Whosoever follows Him, communicates with Him and keeps His Word, will be guided by Him in all truth.