Honor and courage are easy to spot and even easier to remember. I bet just the words “honor and courage” brought someone to mind – a police officer you know, your father or grandfather, a veteran or a hero you admire. Honor and courage also have an important counterpart: faith. With faith, even the meekest among us can live with strength and courage, knowing that God sees our sacrifices and empowers us to do mighty things for him, even when we feel small or unworthy.
In today’s Take Five, we’re going to revisit some posts on Trochia that deal with these themes. Whether you are looking for faith in our powerful God, courage to pray, or strength to honor and follow Christ well, we hope that today’s posts encourage you.
Three Steps to Live Life with Courage by Craig Morris
“How can we acquire the courage we need? The Bible is full of amazing stories and exhortations to be courageous. As the long awaited deliverer of Israel, Moses was used by God to rescue his people from the hands of the Egyptians and he faithfully led his people to the doorstep of the Promised Land. Upon Moses’ death, God appointed Joshua to lead his people, and encouraged him with this message…”
Spiritual Growth: Resistance Training for the Soul by RJ Thesman
“One morning as I counted to 15 while holding my body in the plank position, I wondered about another form of exercise. Which spiritual exercises could I use to strengthen my spiritual core – my soul self? Since I will ultimately age out of this body, shouldn’t I commit to exercises that will make an eternal difference? I decided to concentrate on three areas of spiritual training.”
Bible Study: Character in the Book of Daniel by Amy Hemseri-Sabala
“This story can remain just that, a story that we learn in Sunday school, but one that doesn’t have much relevance in our lives today. Or we can study the test of character that Daniel and his friends faced and evaluate our lives; would our courage stand the test?”
Why We Should Pray For Our Leaders by Cindy Baum
“In the Old Testament book of 2 Kings, we see what happened when a king turned away from God, and the blessings the nation received when he was obedient. When kings did what was right in their own eyes, refusing to recognize the holiness and sovereignty of God, the nation suffered. However, when a king was obedient to the Lord, the people prospered and were at peace. When the frustration of politics or decisions we disagree with from our leaders makes it difficult to pray, we can be encouraged, knowing all leaders are under God’s authority and appointed by him.”
The Names of God: The Lord is our Righteousness, God my Victory and the Abiding Presence of God by Richard Krejcir
“God is our victory and our righteousness! Everything God does and says is right, he is victorious. Even though there is much unrighteousness in the world, he is completely fair and just in all his doings. Eventually he will make everything right and we can rest confidently in him.”
As we finish, let’s pray together: “Lord Jesus, thank you for the grace and courage you offer us as we seek you. Whatever we face today, may we step forward with faith and strength, honoring you in all that we say and do. Amen.”