Seize the Moment – Day 686
Courageous Confidence!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, February 1.
Where does the confidence to act courageously come from? Hebrews 11:1-2 gives us the answer, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.”
Courage is not an absence of fear, but a trained mindset to act according to your faith in the face of fear. Joshua 17:16-18 spotlights Joshua’s leadership skills as he directly dealt with the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, who complained after they received their allotments of the Promised Land:
The sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.” Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have one lot only, but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong.”
What was the difference between Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, whose allotment of land included giants, the sons of Anak, and these two tribes whose land included Canaanites with iron chariots? Caleb had cultivated an instinctual confidence trained by his faith in God!
Joshua’s task as the leader of the people was to lead the people to live with this same kind of courageous confidence in God – “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Seize the moment and cultivate a courageous confidence by training yourself to respond to your fears with faith.
God bless you!