Courageous Breakfast

Courageous Breakfast 

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”   Joshua 1:5-7 (ESV) 

I am sure that many of you who are reading this have seen the movie “Courageous”. I got to see it after a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner that was served by the youth group of First Baptist Church in Egg Harbor City, NJ. We were all moved by way the message came across and, like an altar call, one of FBC’s deacons announced that they would be doing the “Resolution” ceremony and encouraged the men in attendance to sign on to do this. Even though I didn’t sign on my wife bought me the DVD and it came with the “Courageous Living Bible Study”. Just for the record, it was not my Valentine’s gift from her. 

The first chapter of the study has you watch a clip from the movie and not to give too much detail it is the one where Nathan has his vehicle truck-jacked. I recently shared this with our men’s breakfast at Christ Wesleyan Church in E.H.C, and we talked about what we would have done if it was us. But what really got shared was something in the movie’s Bible Study from the Book of Joshua. The study has you read Joshua 1:1-9 and it is where God tells Joshua to be “strong and courageous” three times in this passage. Then it asks why might Joshua have been afraid?  

How about the call itself that God gave him? After all this call was a very full call. So hear this out with me as we go through some point’s in the Joshua passage. “Moses my servant is dead”, but his extraordinary work has to go on and now this has fallen upon Joshua. “Now therefore arise “and be the successor that God has called you to be. All good men of God are His servants but now the Lord has bestowed a higher honor upon Joshua. “Go over this Jordan”, does anyone see in this passage of Scripture where God supplied a boat or a bridge? No, and the Jordan river was at flood stage during this time in history so Joshua has to have complete faith in The God of Israel to get the Nation across. 

Now there is a part in the study where it asks this question, “If you knew God was commanding you to do something, was going to bless you if you did it, and would always be with you helping you succeed, would you be more courageous? Well if you take a look at what God promised Joshua in verse 3, 7, and 9 of chapter one it goes something like this. The promise starts with “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” Then we go into verse 7…”Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” And we come to verse 9…“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." That is a great basis for courage isn’t it? 

So to sum this all up I would like quote this from the Courageous Bible study, “WE can all stand to improve in consistently reading God’s Word and obeying His voice. Like Joshua, you may need reminders to be strong and courageous. You may need to recall that God will help you lead your family and will never leave you as you obey Him. You may need His reminder that he is calling you to spiritually lead, guide, and protect those under your care. Your success in spiritual leadership of your family is directly tied to your commitment to the Word of God.” AMEN? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular member of the Freedom Fighter team 

Team YOU: Judges 7-8; Proverbs 29; Luke 5:1-6

Motivations:  “Danger and fear are words often associated with the word courageous. It takes courage to respond to a threatening situation. According to one popular description, “COURAGE is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”—Catt/Kendrick/Kendrick

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16

Powered Up:  the shortening of private devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint. I have been keeping late hours. William Wilberforce