We are alive in a time in the world’s history when it would not be selfish or bias to think one needs more courage to survive the next minute, the next stage of life, and the next challenge confronting one than any other time. The world’s population is on an all-time high, infant mortality, various diseases, unemployment, kidnapping, armed banditry, insurgency, recession, global warming and the novel Corona virus amongst many others.
The word COURAGE is simply defined as; A quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear.
Courage is needed when there is something that triggers fear against you, and whatever triggers fear have a capability of causing harm and most importantly is perceived to be more powerful than you. Courage is having superior knowledge and understanding of the power within; that is why it is ‘a quality of spirit.” Courage has nothing to do with what is confronting you, courage is about you and your perspective of those things.

Joshua had served Moses who just died because God would not let him lead the Israelites to the promised land as a result of disobedience and now he is to take on the responsibility of leading this stiff-necked people into not just a land flowing with milk and honey, but a land full of enemies of God, mighty warriors with an instruction to utterly destroy them and possess the land. In Joshua chapter one, verse 3-5 we see God assuring Joshua of His presence with him through the journey, granting him possession of any place his feet shall tread upon _God spoke to Joshua directly. Afterwards, in verse six and other preceding verses, God repeated three times to Joshua saying, ‘Be Courageous’ ‘Be very courageous’ as he proceeded to possess a land God had already promised even with reassurance. Hearing God Himself say He is with you does not automatically take away the enemies, God wants you to participate in bringing His promise to pass. In the three verses, courage was mentioned to Joshua; courage was needed to divide the promised land to the Children of Israel — meaning you need the courage to get to the end, then the courage to do all that God had said — this is addressing faith, to walk faith requires courage like the stepping into the Jordan, marching round about Jericho, the third one is; the third one addresses fear and dismay — when things are not working as they should when God seems silent dismay can set in, but God said do not be dismayed.
Courage is not only needed when you are walking in harm’s way and when your life is threatened. Courage is a necessary ingredient for a purposeful and successful life: In the words of Bishop TD Jakes in one of his messages he said; “it takes courage to be different, it takes courage to be great, it takes courage to be rich, it takes courage to walk alone….”

To be courageous you will need;
Vision: Ability to see what mere eyes cannot see, ability to see ahead, to be informed about what the end is supposed to be like. Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no Vision the people perish” perish here does not necessarily mean physical destruction. I love the way The Message Bible puts it; “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves…” Vision is a major reason many people do not give up in spite of prevailing challenges.
Knowledge: As a child of God, you must know God who He is, know His word as it is written, know His plans concerning your life and knowing who you are through the mirror of His word. The second aspect of knowledge is to know what is confronting you or standing against God’s plans for you, what is posing a hindrance to address them rightly — In a later chapter of the book of Deuteronomy Moses sent spies to spy Jericho and report to him, out of twelve spies sent only two knew who they were in God’s eyes and were able to address their enemies appropriately, it is a product of knowledge. Three forms and(or) levels of knowledge

1. Assumption
2. Awareness
3. Revelation
   Let your knowledge go beyond one and two above to level three, in this level, there is a conviction which is a necessary ingredient for courage. Hosea 4:6
   “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge…”
   How to activate Biblical Courage as captured in Joshua 1:8
   “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
4. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of the mouth…’ NEVER STOP speaking the word of God; speak the word of God to God, speak the word of God to yourself and speak the word of God to your challenge!
5. ‘…but thou shall meditate therein day and night…’ THINK ABOUT about the word of God day and night!
6. .”.. that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there in…’ ACT UPON the word of God!
   Application: If you are sick in your body and you need healing, find the word of God that speaks about your healing, speak it, think about it, and act like a healthy person. That is how to be courageous in the midst of sickness.
   So in the midst of whatever challenge you are going through, let this Understanding help you go through it with courage because in the end:
7. “…thou shall make the way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success”
   BE COURAGEOUS, YOU WILL GET THROUGH!

• Hab Galadima

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