God Calls On the Believer to have Courage

One thing really spoke to me in our study of Isaiah 7 - the idea of courage. In Isaiah 7:4, God says to King Ahaz, "...neither be fainthearted..." Another way to understand this statement is, "have courage."

They say that courage comes in two forms, physical and moral. Soldiers serving in combat often employ physical courage. They push their minds and bodies to do what is contrary to their will. God has wired us to flee when we are confronted by something frightening. This is called the "Fight or Flight Response." When someone is confronted by something frightening, their first response is to run away, or at the very least defend themselves. A soldier must learn to overcome this feeling and go into danger. This takes great courage.

The other form of courage is moral. The idea here is to do the right thing. What caught my mind after preaching the Sunday message is the fact that like the Fight or Flight Response, humans have a natural moral response. Unfortunately, it is not to flee but to join in. Because of man's depravity, when he is confronted by something immoral it is not his inclination to flee from it, but to join in. It is only because of the Holy Spirit that we can have courage and do the right thing.

So my friend, when you are confronted by the question, "Should I do the right thing?" Call upon God to give you courage.

-Mark