THE ANATOMY OF COURAGE!

 

Thursday, April 23, 2026

 

THE ANATOMY OF COURAGE!

 

Judg 6:11-12

11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

 

          The root of courage is fear, but courage is only activated when fear is mixed with desperation. Such was the mixture on the floor of the winepress of Joash. One might have heard Gideon mumbling angrily to himself while the Angel of the Lord sat by and listened. Complaints and angry grumbling surely are the companions of courage.

 

          The ferocity of deadly resolve springs from deep desperation. It prompts acts of passion and intensity. It is the explosive breath of one who has held his breath too long. It is the timid child exploding in the face of the bully while other timid children cheer on. When the bully cannot be placated by surrender then the only course of action is action. A bitter fight to the death ensues and it favors the angry timid soul rather than the sporting bully. One is engaged in sport while the other has already contemplated death. This is the stuff of courage.

 

          When evil discards his cloak of hypocrisy and dares the timid to restrain his wicked agenda, the peaceful must decide how long he will endure naked abuse before he explodes in wild retaliation. Such was the case at the founding of our nation. “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them …” So, the colonists chose to throw off the bands of tyranny.

 

          Gideon thought himself to be anything but courageous, but he was angry, and he was frustrated. He had a keen grasp of right and wrong, and he was ready to throw off the bands of tyranny.

 

1 Kings 18:21

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

 

Lord, Satan is a bully and has engaged us in sport. Let us find the resolve needed to fight him. AMEN

 

GENTLE PRESSURE

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

 

GENTLE PRESSURE

 

Jer 18:4

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

 

          The Lord told Jeremiah to go down and observe the potter and his work. He watched as the raw clay was scooped up and pounded into a moldable consistency. The lump was slapped upon the center of the wheel, and he began to spin it with his foot while his wet hands smoothed out a usable shape. The Lord then explained that making a lovely and useful vessel sometimes required some pounding and finally some gentle pressure.

 

          A few years ago, a graduate gave a single rose to my wife to indicate that she had been impacted by my wife’s gentle pressure upon her life. My wife was surprised but I wasn’t. No, I did not know about the rose beforehand, but I was not surprised. Gentle pressure is not always appreciated while being applied but it transforms.

 

          Do you feel the Potter’s gentle pressure upon your life today? Maybe it is more like pounding! Either way, God is trying to make something beautiful and useful of you. Even “mess ups” are not a total loss in the masterful hands of the potter. He simply starts over and makes it into another vessel. Yield to His gentle pressure and wait for the transformation. It’s going to be wonderful!

 

Dear Lord, let me yield to your gentle pressure upon my life today. AMEN

 

MORE THAN ENOUGH!

 

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

 

MORE THAN ENOUGH!

 

Ps 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

 

Notice the upward focus! The eyes of the person of faith are elevated above the clamor and calamity. There is calm in the hills of help. There is consolation, comfort and cure! Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and full of praise and worship, think on these things. Our focus is important! How often do we magnify our problems and minimize our help? He is more than adequate for any situation.

 

Notice the source of our help! Lest we think the psalmist is seeking guidance from some zany guru on a hilltop, he explains in verse two that his help comes from the Lord. Lest we remain confused as to the identity of this “lord” he further identifies Him as the One who made heaven and earth. Oh, that Lord is more than sufficient for our problems. This Lord needs neither slumber nor rest. He is eternally vigilant on our behalf. He is our keeper. He is our shamar (shaw-mar'), our guard and protector.

 

Notice the details of His care! Even the Sun and Moon shall not “smite” us! By day the glory of the Almighty shaded and led Israel through the wilderness. By night the cloud became a pillar of fire to warm and to brighten the night sky. Jesus noted that even the very hairs of our head are numbered and known by the Lord. He pays attention to the minutiae of our lives.

 

Notice the extent of this care! Never flagging care is promised to the one who looks to the Lord. The psalmist also asked: “Where can I go from thy presence?” The answer is evident and sure. We can never run so far that the Lord is not there. No trouble is too big for our God, even for evermore.

 

Ps 121:8

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for being more than enough for my every need today. AMEN