We wish that all it took was a commandment to be strong and courageous.  It’s just that when faced with the unknown and uncertain circumstances of life, we become fearful that things may not work out the way we’d like them to.  And so, we procrastinate, hesitate, fluctuate, and vacillate.  We do everything but meditate on a solution that brings God and the power of God into the solution.  And sometimes even after prayerful meditation we fail to act because our fear has us frozen.  Phillip Brooks once said, “We never become truly faithful by sitting down and wishing to become so.  We must undertake something so great that it couldn’t be accomplished unaided.”  And so it is that not only does fear interfere with our ability to live courageously.  Fear is an interrupter to our faith — the very thing we need to overcome our fear.  If and when we live with the reality that Almighty God is with us wherever we go, then what do we ever have to fear about anything?  And if fear is wrestled under control or eliminated by our faith, then we can choose to live and love courageously any time we choose or whenever the opportunity presents itself.  God’s mercies are new every morning, as well as God’s opportunity for us to live without fear, choosing to live with courage and to love courageously.

• When have you missed an opportunity to live or love courageously because a fear prevented you from doing so?
• Have you ever stopped to identify exactly what you were afraid of?
• How can you employ your faith that “God is with you wherever you go” to help you overcome your fears?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, create in me the confidence in knowing you are with me wherever I go; help me to manage my fears that I may live and love courageously each day.

         The commercial begins with the young girl standing alone in a picturesque Meadow.  The camera then pans to another part of the field where it shows a gigantic African rhinoceros.  The ominous beast begins a lethal charge towards the girl, whose serene and happy face remains unmoved.  As the rhinoceros gets closer, the words appear on the screen, “Trust is not being afraid.”  A split second before the rhino tramples the helpless child, it stops, and the girl, her smile never wavering, reaches up and pets the animal on its massive horn.  The final words then appear, “even when you are vulnerable.”

         The situation described above is designed to evoke fear in those who watch.  That kind of fear would be normal.  And yet, in the face of that fear, the little girl exhibits two things.  First, she exhibits courage.  She doesn’t move.  She doesn’t even flinch.  She stands there confident in the outcome of her circumstances.  The second think she exhibits is trust.  Yes, there is a certain vulnerability.  But when we think about it, facing life each day requires a certain amount of trust in God.  And with that trust, we become vulnerable.  Our courage comes in at the point that we trust that God will strengthen us and uphold us with God righteous right hand.  Once we place our trust in God, our courage is not in our ability to handle any circumstance, but in God’s ability.  Our ability to live within that vulnerability to face life each day with all of its inherent dangers, requires the courage to trust God to be our strength and our protection.  With God watching over us, there is no need to fear, only the willingness to live and love courageously.

• What is there to fear if God has promised to strengthen and help us — to uphold us in all circumstances?
• Why do you think fear is such a pervasive challenger to the courage we need to live and love courageously?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, increase my trust in Your care that I may live and love courageously without fear.

         Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849.  She immediately became involved in the abolitionist movement, organizing meetings, speaking against slavery, and other efforts to alleviate the oppressive chattel slavery industry.

         But that wasn’t enough for Tubman.  She decided to return to the South secretly and deliver other slaves to freedom.  It was a great risk, because if she had been caught, she would have certainly been thrown back into slavery — or killed as an example to other potential runaways.

         But not only did she return to the South that one time, she returned 19 times to rescue some 300 fellow slaves.  Each trip became more risky as slave catchers were on the alert for her.  But each time she embarked upon the journey, and each time — with God’s help she confessed — she evaded authorities.

         We are often detached from the courage it takes to accomplish great things even though fear is at hand.  And yet, even when fear has encroached upon our lives, we can face those times knowing that “with God’s help”, we can overcome our fears and accomplish great things in life.  Harriet Tubman’s courage was amplified by her courage to live and love even in the midst of her fear.  I cannot say that her fear was eliminated.  But it is clear that her faith in God and what she was doing allowed her to put her fear in the rearview mirror and to proceed to help others to reach freedom.  Only the ability to live and love courageously by faith could free Harriet Tubman to do what she did.

• What risks have you failed to take because of your fear?
• What risks would you be willing to take to live and love courageously knowing that you had God’s help?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, grant that I might develop through my faith to take great risks by living and loving courageously in Your name.