Daily Devotional

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BE COURAGEOUS

23rd May 2024

Scripture Reading: 1 SAMUEL 30: 1-20

Focus

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30: 6)

When David’s men spoke of stoning him, he had no option but to encourage himself in the Lord his God. The word encourage as used in that scripture comes from the Hebrew word ‘chazaq’; another meaning of ‘chazaq’ is ‘to be courageous’. So David decided to be courageous in the face of the challenge he encountered. He faced a discouraging situation but he chose to be courageous. Instead of getting depressed, he got courageous.

Friend, dare to be courageous. As you face the challenges that come your way, be courageous; as situations arise to discourage you, still be courageous; as you face hurdles and oppositions, be courageous; as you take up the new roles that may come your way, be courageous; as God shows you the new heights He wants you to attain, be courageous; as you set your eyes on the targets you need to hit, be courageous.

Make no mistakes about it: there will be discouragement. Friends will discourage you; enemies will discourage you; the economy will discourage you; challenges will discourage you; policies will discourage you; the failures of others will discourage you; previous poor results will discourage you; the entire universe may even unite to discourage you, but dare to be courageous; face the future with courage.

David encouraged himself in the Lord his God, he became courageous, and in a matter of time, he pursued, overtook and recovered all that the enemy took away from him. Courage will gladly offer you the same things that fear will deny you; courage will take you to heights that fear says you should never aspire to; courage will transport you to successes that fear wants to deprive you of. Courage will always pay you more than fear will.

Why choose fear when you can choose courage? Why choose to be discouraged when you can be courageous?

Declaration

I choose to be courageous, in Jesus’ name!

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Further Reading

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Memory Verse

“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1: 6)

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