Fear, anxiety, worry are all parts of this human experience. They can keep us up at nights, ringing our hearts and drenching our cheeks in floods of tears, and the stress of fear can be stifling like walking fully-clothed into a steam room and gasping for just one, good breath. It is at these moments, when we feel crippled by the strain of this life, when courage becomes real.
Courage does not mean the absence of fear and worry, far from it. Instead, courage is putting on strength amidst the suppressive suffocation and strain of anxiety and fear. This is important to remember: one cannot be courageous until there is a pall-like force attempting to overpower. It is this struggle against an adversarial force that is the call for courage.
These times, when fear clenches our throats and anxiety grips our hearts, courage requires that we find a source of strength that is even more powerful than our greatest fears. For this, God is. He is our present help in times of struggle, our rock, our fortress, our strong tower, our mighty deliverer, our Savior.
Thus, when we feel overwhelmed or overcome by the dark shroud of evil terror, whatever the immediate source may be, our source of courage is to be the Lord Himself. Praise be to God who is our strength and our shield when all else seems bleak and fearsome.
Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths to righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days fo my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
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