Whenever I think of the word; ‘brave’ - I think: Superman, Spiderman, Batman (my husbands favourite, that’s why he married Robynne :)
What comes to mind when you think about the word: brave?
The dictionary says that brave means to be confident, courageous, daring, fearless, gutsy, heroic, strong and valiant.
Truth be told, this is one of the most difficult posts I’ve ever had to write. These definitions that string across my computer screen, scream of attributes I struggle to grasp.
Four times in Joshua 1 alone, God issues this command: “Be strong and courageous.”
If you were to ask me to write a list of:
What do I have faith for?
What do I fear?
The latter list would be far longer. I’m prone to fear. But aren’t we all. To fear, is quite a natural human emotion, but when we elevate our fears above our level of faith, it just becomes an idol. Fear has become an idol of mine. Repeatedly, I repent day after day for placing my fears above my trust in the Lord and I need Gods Word to correct my pattern of thinking.
I am learning that as I surrender my heart to the truth of Gods Word, His Word paints a different picture of bravery than Superman, Spiderman and Batman combined.
I’ve realised that bravery does not lie in vitality but in victory, and victory is more than a super-hero story. Victory is a Jesus story.
Spoiler alert: the battle has been fought, the victory has been won.
The story starts with a virgin birth, a super-natural kind of life and a sacrificial death. But that’s not the end - victory enters in and death is defeated.
The story of victory is that Jesus is alive. He is the ultimate picture of bravery. He enters into a world that He created, yet the world does not recognise Him. He leaves a throne and takes on a crown of thorns instead. He overthrows that which cannot be overthrown. Jesus outwits, outplays and outlasts the enemy. He is the ultimate survivor.
Jesus wins!
This supernatural truth smashes every superhero tale into submission.
As we walk out this earthy life, awaiting our eternal life - we have access to this supernatural victory. We have access through our relationship with Jesus.
So even on our worst days, when fear is at an all time high - you are brave. Why? Because our strength lies not in our own competence but in the conquering power of Christ.
Maybe you need to hear this today: The purposes that God has for your life cannot be overthrown. Jesus intercedes on our behalf and his prayers for our lives cannot be turned down. This is some muscle building truth that turns every cautious response into a confident one.
We are more than conquerors when our courage is in the One who has conquered it all. This is the believers triumph.
Here are a few things that you can do to kick your brave into gear:
1. Read Gods Word: Joshua 1:-6-8
We need to learn the foundational principle of turning to Gods Word at all times. Our faith is built up as we live our life in obedience to Gods Word. But disobedience will always lead to defeat.
2. Remember Gods faithfulness: Joshua 4:9
Write down a list of areas or situations in your life where you have witnessed Gods faithfulness. What are your stones of remembrance?
3. Remember Gods promises: Joshua 21:43-45
Has God promised you something? Pick up those promises again and pray! He is faithful!
4. Write down Gods Word: Joshua 18:4
Be diligent in doing the work. Journaling and writing out scripture is a spiritual discipline we should all practice. David Mathis says this: “Vital to making your journal serve your spiritual vibrancy is saturating it with Scripture and permeating it with prayer.”
5. Reflect in Gods presence: Joshua 1:9
Gods presence is our promise. Gods presence is where we gain the courage and confidence to walk out His plans for our lives. He is always with us!
Remember that God wants us to walk in full victory in all areas of our life. When God told Joshua to capture the promised land; on every conquest Joshua was instructed to strike down all his enemies. God wanted the Israelites to walk in complete victory. Joshua 11:6; Joshua 11:9.
We can walk boldly into the future, holding the hand of the One who demonstrates the heart of The Sacred Brave.
Here are some scriptures to encourage you today. Write them down and pray them over your life:
Ephesians 6:10 - “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
Micah 7:8 - “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
Ezra 10:4 - “Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”
Acts 26:16 - “But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.”
1 John 5:4 - “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Isaiah 40:31 - “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Luke 1:37 - “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Isaiah 52:2 - “Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”
Acts 3:6 - “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
2 Corinthians 12:9-11 - “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Love
Robynne
Women Of Reverence welcomes Robynne De Wet as a contributor.
Hi! I’m Robynne. I am a Port Elizabeth born and raised small city girl. I moved to Cape Town with my husband nearly ten years ago.
We have been blessed with three little girls, now aged 2,3 and 4.
I have known my King Jesus for 25 years and each year I grow to know and love Him more and more. I am passionate about Gods Word and I love writing about what God shows me through it.
I write for my blog called Robynne Writes. Robynne Writes was birthed out of a place of longing to see women learn Gods Word, love Gods Word and live out Gods Word.