A Courageous Woman

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I just love words. I love to search for meaning and the definition of everything. To me, the word “courage” is one of the most intriguing words in the entire English dictionary. Just hearing it makes me want to go and conquer something. In the Bible, we find it coupled with strength, as in “be strong and of good courage.” Courage means to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage). Repeatedly God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous.

In the New Testament, Jesus instructed His disciples to be of good cheer. On the surface, the word “cheer” can sound pretty soft and light. On the contrary, cheer means to have courage! It comes from a root word that means to be daring and bold. Jesus told His disciples to “be of good cheer (to have courage, be daring and bold) for I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame, and if He overcame, so can we!

It takes courage to follow your heart, courage to stand alone, to wait on God’s best, to start something new, to walk away, to speak up, to be yourself, and to do something different. It takes courage to believe. The great news is, Jesus is our courage. He is our bravery. He is our invincible army and our confidence. Jesus is our strength and boldness. When we feel weak, we are strong in Him. When we feel afraid, we are courageous in Him. He is our spiritual 24-hour energy! His Spirit is a fire within us that cannot be quenched. We are courageous women of God!

Prayer: Father God, you are my God, and I adore you. Thank you for putting your Spirit within me and for causing me to be courageous in you. I pray that you help me to wrap my heart around the true meaning of courage. When I feel weak, I am strong. Thank you that I am courageous in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.