Courage: Strong and of Good Courage
August 15, 2026
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the decision to move forward in spite of it — trusting that the God who calls us also goes before us.
When Joshua stood at the edge of the promised land, the task ahead was enormous. A fortified city. A vast army. The weight of an entire nation on his shoulders. But God spoke directly into his fear: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NKJV).
What followed at Jericho was not a military strategy — it was an act of faith. March around the city for seven days. Shout when I tell you to shout. It made no military sense at all. But Joshua obeyed, and the walls came down. Courage, in God’s kingdom, often looks like obedience when the plan makes no sense to human eyes.
The same pattern runs through every story of courage in Scripture. David did not face Goliath because he had superior weapons. He walked toward the giant because he had already learned, in the fields with the sheep, that God could be trusted. Esther did not stand before the king because she felt no fear — she said plainly, “if I perish, I perish.” She acted anyway.
Courage comes from the same source today. Not from feeling strong, but from knowing Who is with you. Not from having all the answers, but from trusting the One who does.
Friend, whatever giant is standing in front of you right now — whatever wall seems immovable — God has not changed. He is still the same God who brought down Jericho, still the same God who held David’s sling. He is asking you to be strong and of good courage, because He is with you.
May God fill you with holy courage today. Amen.