The Lord’s presence and courage go together. We see it several times in the Word of God. I really appreciate Joshua chapter one. This is just a taste:
“After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said. . . This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” V1 & 9
In the space of those three dots between verse one and verse nine, the Lord made a few things really clear to Joshua. Reading through verse 9, we find the presence of the Lord with Joshua as both a precondition to give him courage and a promise for his doing a few things consistently and courageously.
As Joshua leads the people across the Jordan river, he will receive all the land he walks on. He will defeat all who come against him because. . . the Lord tells him: “For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” The promise of the presence of the Lord.
He is repeatedly commanded to be strong and courageous. That includes obeying all he learned from Moses and from the Word of God. And with those conditions there is the echoed promise of success. With the trials he has yet to see, or understand, the Lord forcefully says: “Do not be afraid or discouraged.” The promise of His presence follows again.
Generations later King David cries out to the Lord as if he is playing both sides of their honest conversation. Knowing his personal struggles, and the character of the Lord, David goes back and forth between confidence and distress. “Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:7-8
The back and forth continues. Yet just like David, he lands in a place of shalom. He can do this because the Lord’s presence with him, and courage, go hand in hand. David instructs himself, and us in v14: “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” I do not sense resignation here. I sense the confidence of one who has experienced anguish and desperation many times, but watched the Lord turn it for good, in His time. I see the waiting as part of our relationship building. Part of building our courage.
Now comes our opportunity. Take a few moments to contemplate challenging times in your life. Ask Abba to show you where He was. Look at them today from the Lord’s perspective. Most importantly, can you now see the Lord with you, even if you did not notice at the time? Some call it serendipity, others chance. I believe it is the faithfulness of the Lord of Love. Consider the courage you have acquired because you have experienced the presence.
Joshua and David loved the Lord because the Lord first loved them. And they experienced the presence of that love over and over. They both teach us a lot about how the Lord’s presence and our courage go hand in hand.
