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Be Strong and Courageous
Andrea Lende • October 1, 2021
Psalm 31:2-3 and 24
Be Strong and Courageous
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Be-Strong-and-Courageous-e185v2q
Psalm 31:2-3 and 24
“Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily! Be my Rock of refuge, a strong Fortress to save me!”
“Yes, You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore for Your name’s sake lead me and guide me.”
“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!”
King David prays to the Lord.
He asks God to help him quickly.
There are so many times in my life when I’ve felt like I’ve needed God’s quick intervention.
Too many times to count.
Sometimes my need has been giant and almost catastrophic and at other times has been seemingly small and insignificant.
Saving me from pure devastation to saving me from a failed dinner.
Whatever my need has been, He has seen it and heard my cry for help.
I think about my children and times when they’ve needed my help.
Often, I can see it coming and already have a plan in place to help them.
Similarly, the Lord is our Father and wants the best for us, His children.
He is ready to help us with our every need.
David tells the Lord He is his Rock and his Fortress.
A Rock to stand on and a Fortress to protect him.
I need to borrow his words today as I need the Lord to be my Rock and my Fortress.
And I trust He is ready to sturdy my steps and protect me.
Lastly, King David tells us to be strong and courageous.
He tells us to “wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!”
Yes, we can be sure the Lord has the perfect plan already in place to take care of us and our needs.
Today I choose to be strong and courageous in the Lord and wait on Him as He works all things out according to His perfect plan.
May you find the Lord is coming to your aid and is your Rock and Fortress to keep you safe during the storms of your life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are my Rock to stand on and my Fortress to protect me. Thank You for encouraging me to wait on You, hope in You, and expect You to work out all things perfectly for my good and Your glory. Father, help me wait on You. Do not let me get out ahead of You and Your plan. Plant the seed of hope in my heart so I can be courageous in the storm. May Your strength be mine as I face another day. Help me do all You ask of me with a joyful heart. Do not let fear grip my mind and stop me from doing Your will. May You send Your angels to surround me and tend to my mind, body, and spirit today. May Your Spirit flood mine to overflowing. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child, and all is going according to My plan.
Response: May my strength and courage come from You, Almighty God and gracious Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.