The yellow bricked road

Image by courtneyBolton via Flickr

"The yellow bricked road" By Diane Webb

Psalms 31:24

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

Courage is simply facing what you have to face without showing fear, discouragement, or frustration. We all face what we have to face because we have no choice. All the "I can't stand it's" and "I can't handle its" amount to nothing because we handle what we have to and we stand what we have to. But do we do it with grace, dignity, and poise? If we don't then that is OK—we are surviving. If we do, we have courage. Courage is standing firm, not backing down, and not giving in. Courage is not necessarily being unafraid although it is not showing our fear. It is not retreating out of fear. According to our scripture today, we must show courage first and then God will strengthen us. Sometimes all it takes is one split second of demonstrating courage. We have to take the first step towards facing our battles or fears. After that first step then our heart (our spirit) will get the extra dose of encouragement and power we need to finish what we have started. Hope is future focused in a good way. It is looking forward to something better and believing it will come. Hope in the Lord is trusting, and knowing God will come to your aid as soon as you demonstrate courage. What is it you need courage for today? Who is it you have to face? What situation is causing you to tremble on the inside? Do not be afraid. God is with you and he will give you the strength to press forward. There is always hope in the Lord. As a Christian you cannot lose because you have eternal life. No matter what battle you face on earth you cannot lose. If you lose your life on earth you will gain your life in heaven--instantly. There is nothing to fear. Death is not to be feared. Pain and suffering is not to be feared. It will bring you closer to God. He will strengthen you in your pain. Think for a minute about the one thing you believe you cannot handle. Now think of someone who has been through that very thing. Think of how they managed. Did they show courage? Did they endure? There is nothing we can fear that someone somewhere has not already experienced and made it through. Some people face amazing things with courage. Others cannot face even the slightest thing (locking the keys in the car) without falling apart. Hope in the Lord is the difference between those who show courage when facing adversity and those who crumble. He is on either end of your struggle—before you take a step and after you take a step. Do you forget he is there? Let this be your reminder. God is there—past, present, and future. Your hope—your only hope—lies with God. As you place your hope in him, you can gain the courage you need to face what you have to face. Think of the lion in "The Wizard of Oz". It was his hope of being granted courage that enabled him to demonstrate courage the entire time. He hoped the wizard could give him courage, he believed the wizard could give him courage, and he therefore exercised courage in seeking courage. The wizard had no real power. God, on the other hand, has all the power. God can grant courage and he does give us the courage, and the strength, to face what we have to face. But we, like the lion, have to exercise our faith by stepping out on that yellow bricked road of life.

Dear Lord, thank you for the courage you have already given me. Strengthen me Lord as I face what I have to face today. Help me exercise courage and demonstrate grace, poise, and serenity no matter what happens today. I do, indeed, place my hope in you. You are my only hope. I pray in Christ's name, Amen.