The Virtue of Courage

Call to Prayer 

Title: The Virtue of Courage

By; Daniel Peter

Date: 07.08.2023

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.    Joshua 1:9 NIV

When Joshua was about to step into leadership position, the statement from Moses and later God Himself was that He should be strong and courageous (Deut. 31:6-7, Josh. 1:9). Being a young man and having seen the rebellious attitude of the people he was about to lead, there was the temptation that he would shrink back in fear, therefore the admonition for him was that he should be courageous.

Oxford Languages defines courage as “the ability to do something that frightens one”, and “strength in the face of pain or grief“. This was the virtue that separated Joshua and Caleb from the other ten spies sent to spy the land of Canaan (Numbers 13). God said of Caleb “he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully “(Numbers 14:24). The spirit God was making reference to here was the spirit of faith. Therefore, courage is a product of faith.

To express it in the language of the kingdom, courage is simply obeying the instructions of God despite the contradiction you might face. This was the virtue “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” displayed in Babylon when they decided not to bow down to the golden image, despite the consequences they were to face. Courage is also expressed when we persevere in doing that which the Lord has instructed us despite the difficulties we face.

Some time ago, The Lord taught me courage expressed as perseverance in an encounter. He took me to a very high mountain and instructed me to dig (for a pearl). I kept on digging for a long time and I was becoming discouraged. However, He kept on saying “dig, it is there”. After digging for a while, someone came to assist me and he dug out a black pearl from within the rock. Then He told me, when I say something is there, it is there, indicating that when He speaks, though it may not manifest immediately, but as we continue obeying His voice, we will see the manifestation of the word.

Good success comes to those who are courageous. People leave profitable ventures simply because of the challenges they face and others are stuck in a particular level in life simply because they are discourage to try again after a setback. But the courageous never gives up until success. Courage as a virtue is formed in us when we meditate on the word of God frequently (Joshua 1:8,9).

Prayer Point 

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us to spend quality time in His word so the virtue of courage will be formed in us