Courage Under Fire: Behind Closed Doors

by Marilynn Chadwick There is strength in getting alone with God. Time with the Lord increases our courage. Jesus knew this full well. The Bible tells us he “withdrew often” to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:16). How much more should we? There’s no more important task on earth than seeking God. When trouble hits, I've learned to go into my room, shut the door, and seek God through his Word and prayer. Sometimes God may close doors in our life so that we have the time and space we need to draw close to him. We get alone to shut God in, and to shut other things—like distractions and discouragement—out. Think about it. Some of God’s greatest miracles have happened behind closed doors: A man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house. His only daughter, a girl of about twelve, lay dying. While Jesus was still speaking to the group, Jairus received word that his daughter had died. Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:41-50 NIV). “When Jesus arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s mother and father” (Luke 8:51). In other words, Jesus shut the door. He shut some things in. And he shut others out. Then Jesus took the little girl by the hand and said to her, “My child, get up!” (v. 54). Her “spirit returned,” and at once she stood up, fully revived. We see another shut door in 2 Kings 4:18-37. A young boy suddenly died and his mother ran to the prophet Elisha for help. When the prophet returned, he found the boy dead on the couch. Elisha shut the door. The prophet prayed fervently and the boy was restored to life. Yet another miracle behind closed doors! So when you are worried, weary, or when you need fresh courage, that may be the time to strengthen yourself in the Lord. Remember to go to your room and shut the door to be alone with God. But take heart. Some of God’s greatest miracles occur behind closed doors.

Courage Under Fire: Courage When You Feel "Less Than"

by Marilynn Chadwick God loves us when we are weak, but he delights in making us strong. The Bible is filled with stories of how God empowers broken men and women to conquer their enemies, pull down strongholds, move mountains, and accomplish his work on earth. Gideon sure felt less than courageous. He referred to himself as the "least" in a family whose clan was the "weakest" in his tribe. But God sent an angel who greeted the tired and broken man with these encouraging words. God told him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor" (Judges 6:12 ESV). It took a little persuading, but God gave amazing strength and courage to this unlikely hero who defeated enemy armies and returned Israel to her former glory. “The angel of the Lord” is a term reserved for a very special kind of messenger. Most scholars believe “the angel of the Lord” describes an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. Read a little further. You’ll notice that instead of “the angel of the Lord,” this visitor is actually referred to as the Lord himself. The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” (Judges 6:11-14). This was a defining moment for Gideon. He asked for a sign to see if this was really the Lord. He made an offering of meat and meal, which the Lord touched with his staff. The offering burst into flames, so Gideon knew it was the Lord. He was terrified, certain he would die because he had seen the Lord. But God assured Gideon he would not die. So he built an altar to the Lord and called it, “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24). God then asked Gideon to do a very hard thing. He told him to tear down the altar to the rival god Baal at his father Joash’s home. Gideon took ten servants and did as the Lord had told him. “But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night” (Judges 6:27). “Who could have done such a thing?” the men of the town asked the next day. They discovered it was Gideon. So they went to Joash and said, “Your son Gideon knocked over Baal’s altar… Hand him over, so we can kill him!” Gideon’s father replied, “Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death. If Baal really is a god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar.” That same day, his father changed Gideon’s name to Jerubbaal, explaining, “He tore down Baal’s altar, so let Baal take revenge himself.” (Judges 6:30-32 CEB). This marked the beginning of Gideon as a leader of Israel against her enemies. He is listed among the great heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, a chapter many call the Hall of Fame of Faith: And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies (Hebrews 11:32-34 NIV). Walk in courage. Let Christ’s power be made perfect in you in times where you feel weak and less than. His grace really is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Courage Under Fire: Doing Hard Things

by Marilynn Chadwick We’ve been exploring practical ways to increase our courage. We see in 1 Samuel 30:1-7 how King David strengthened himself after a devastating attack by the Amalekites. David first got alone and "strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam 30:6b ESV). He sought God's wisdom. Then he courageously obeyed God's instructions. In the Hebrew language, the words “strength” and “courage” are interchangeable. So when David “strengthened himself in the Lord,” he also gained new courage to fight his battles. The brave warrior gathered his men and set out to attack the Amalekites—with God's assurance of victory. And sure enough, David brought back all the women and children that had been captured, as well as all the property. He had experienced God’s power in battle before, so he was certain God could be trusted again. David's courageous obedience resulted in a thrilling victory. In both Hebrew and Greek, the original Bible languages, the words for listen and obey are virtually the same. So hearing God implies that I will obey his marching orders. If I want to grow strong in the Lord, it’s vital that I learn to both hear and obey. What’s more, obedience to the voice of God increases both strength and courage. But sometimes, God asks us to do hard things. What about you? Do you sometimes avoid stepping into the fray—as I've been known to do? Especially when he asks me to do something that calls for courage and self-sacrifice. Remember, we have an advantage over King David when it comes to hearing God. For one thing, as believers in Christ, we have the gift of his Holy Spirit who dwells in us. So we have access to God's voice in a much more intimate way. And second, we have the entire Bible available to us. Imagine how David would have felt if he had the whole Bible in his hands—complete with his own book of Psalms! Learning from King David, we must sometimes withdraw and give God time to speak to us. A few minutes each day to read and reflect on God's promises—letting them sink down deep—are nourishment to our soul. God's Word sharpens our inner hearing of God’s voice. Jesus said believers will recognize his voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 NIV). Has God ever asked you to do a hard thing? Did you say yes? How did obedience to God's Word help you grow stronger? Increase your courage? Perhaps he is asking you to do a hard thing today.