God makes us brave. What does it mean to be brave? Being brave is having the ability to do something without fear. It is to be courageous, it is to be bold. This is not to say that we would not experience fear but that we would overcome the fear with the truth of God's Word.
Fear is not of God. God is love and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:17-18). Fear can hinder us from moving forward in the things of God. As a result, we will be unable to do the things He wants us to do because the fear will be overcoming us rather than we overcoming the fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We have power which is given from God, we have the love of Christ and we have the mind of Christ.
Fear is not of God. God is love and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:17-18). Fear can hinder us from moving forward in the things of God. As a result, we will be unable to do the things He wants us to do because the fear will be overcoming us rather than we overcoming the fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We have power which is given from God, we have the love of Christ and we have the mind of Christ.
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)
We are brave because God is with us. He said that He will never leave us or forsake us. The Lord says to be strong and courageous not because we can do it by ourselves but because He is the One that goes with us. He is the One that is with us in those situations where we feel that we cannot do it and where we think that we would not be good enough. God is the Omnipresent God who is with always even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). When we feel afraid, we have to remember that God is with us. He is right by our side, He is right on the inside.
Before Jesus left the disciples, He promised them that He will give them another comforter. He promised that He will send the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18). In verse 18 of John 14, Jesus told them that He will not leave them comfortless, that He will come to them.We have been given the Holy Spirit, the comforter who dwells in us.
"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31(NKJV)
We become bold through the Holy Spirit. After the people were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 4, they spoke the Word of God with boldness. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to do the things we thought we could never do. It is He who gives us the strength and the courage to do it. We can do nothing without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing without God. It is through God that we live, move and have our being.
"The wicked flee when no one pursues but the righteous are bold as a lion." Proverbs 28:1 (NKJV)As the children of God, we were never called to be cowards. We were never called to be afraid but we were called to be bold. The righteous are as bold as a lion. A lion is not afraid. He takes up territory and he claims what is his. We are heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We are called to be brave!
Heavenly Father, I ask that You would give us a spirit of boldness and of courage. We recognize that we can only be brave through You. Only through You, can we do it. I pray that we would not have a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind. Let us be ones who are bold for You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
