Got Courage?

“What makes a King out of a slave? Courage.

What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.

What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?

What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage.

What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage.

What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage.

What makes the Hottentot so hot?

What puts the "ape" in ape-ricot?

Whatta they got that I ain't got? Courage.”

(The Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz)

One of my greatest fears used to be “Acrophobia”…the fear of heights. As a kid I wouldn’t dare ride on a roller coaster or ferris-wheel, I didn’t climb trees. So you can imagine the look in my eyes the very first time a traveled by airplane…and wouldn’t you know it; my primary job in the military consisted of climbing telephone poles using gaffs. Every day in wire school I refused to even practice pole climbing for fear that I might fall off of the pole and badly injure myself.

My fear threatened to hinder my ability to graduate and become a successful communications wireman. Truth be told, I  during that time I lacked the courage to climb high.

Many of you today still lack the courage to climb as high as necessary to achieve your goals or pursue the ministries that God is birthing in you.

Courage is defined as:

·         The ability to do something that you know is difficult

·         Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.

After the death of Moses, Joshua takes up the mantle of leader over Israel (ref. Joshua 1:1-17); and is commanded by God to be strong and of good courage…The Lord knew what struggles and battles awaited the children of Israel once they crossed-over into the promised land, and, He assured Joshua that He would be with him as He was also with Moses. God intended to fulfill his covenant and promise to Abraham, (ref. Genesis 13:14-17, 15:1-21, 17:7-9).

In that same manner, God has also promised to be with us and work through us, He says in Jeremiah 29:11; “I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, not evil; to give you an expected end.” We receive a similar promise from Christ (ref. Matthew 28:20b, John 14:12)

If the God of all creation has promised to be with us until the end, and has placed His very own Spirit within us, then why do we walk in fear? On 17 different occasions in Gods’ word we are commanded to “be strong and of good courage.”

When God gives the same command more than once, we must know beyond the shadow of doubt that He's also given us the victory before hand.

After all, we are the conduits through which the Holy Spirit operates for the purpose of fulfilling Gods’ plan in the earth realm. When we place our faith and trust in Him there is no task too difficult to carry out, and no assignment too hard to complete, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me.” Philippians 4:13

I did finally gain the courage to climb the telephone pole to the very top and ultimately graduated as a school trained wireman…little did I know that some five years later I would be appointed the regimental wire chief in my last unit. I simply had to trust in God and keep climbing higher.

All it took was courage…