Called to...Bravery?
home :: forums :: get connectedWould you consider yourself to be brave or courageous? Do you know someone who is brave? What does it really mean to “be brave”?
According to the dictionary, to be brave is to be “willing to face danger, pain, or trouble; not afraid; having courage.” The word “bravery” is defined as “the quality of being brave; courage; valor.”
Brave is definitely not a word that I would use to describe myself. Yet, interestingly enough, I have recently been referred to as “brave”, not once, but twice. One time was when I gave my blessings to a friend who was marrying my former beau. And once again, I was told that I was brave when I made the difficult choice to refrain from communicating with one of my closest friends, partially out of respect for his new girlfriend. Neither situation was life-threatening but both were emotionally challenging for me. But I had to do what I believed God had called me to do. I had to do what was right. And I did. But was it also brave, as they claimed?
I had to do what I believed God had called me to do. In Joshua 1:1-9, God was reminding Joshua that he needed to face the fact that Moses was dead, and now, he, Joshua, was in charge of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua was terribly fearful of that responsibility! He shook in his boots, so to speak, and needed some courage in order to go forward with his calling. So God “encouraged” him. God increased his courage with these words:
“Moses my servant is dead, Joshua. [The past is the past.] Now you? You get going. You cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the people of Israel…. No one will be able to stand against you.
In the same way I was with Moses, I will be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you! Be strong! Be very courageous! Be brave!
“You are going to lead this people to that land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul…Don’t get off track, either to the left or to the right… Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything I’ve written in it. Then you will get where you’re going; then you will succeed.
“Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong! Be courageous! Be brave! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. The Lord, your God, is with you every step you take.” God wants to push you forward! The Lord God was encouraging Joshua, a frightened leader, to do what he was called to do, to go forward into the Promised land; to follow the instructions that God had given him to follow. As he did what he was told, as he lived as he was instructed to live, Joshua would indeed have success, for God would be with him every step of the way, going before him and following behind.
The Hebrew word for success, or prosper, means “to push forward“, or make progress. How would you like for God to “push you forward”? God pushed Joshua and the children of Israel forward to success. And He wants to push us forward, too. He wants us to make progress. But it is really up to us whether we choose to walk according to His way or not.
Neil Anderson tells us in his book Freedom from Fear,
“The Israelites’ success did not depend on favorable circumstances in the promised land, nor on the cooperation of the Philistines. They would be successful and prosperous if they understood God’s Word and faithfully lived it. To be successful in life, you have to first know God and His ways.” God is calling us to bravery, just as He was calling Joshua to bravery! If bravery means to face the difficult times by looking to God and His Word daily and then diligently following the way that He leads, even when we may be afraid or uncertain or insecure, …even when others don’t understand our calling, well, so be it. I want to be brave. Lord, help me to be brave!
How about you? What challenging task is God calling you to? Are you afraid? That’s o.k. Be encouraged! Even one of the most valiant military strategists of all time, Joshua, was afraid! But God called him to bravery! God was with him! And God brought him success. And indeed, the God of Moses and the God of Joshua, will be with you also, …wherever you go!
Now you? You go…God is calling you to bravery! Don’t be afraid to obey Him!
“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
I Thessalonians 5:17 |
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