Courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is doing something in spite of the fear. I was out in the woods today and found a tree growing out of a crack in a rock. Stunted and deformed, it was vigorous and unyielding, nonetheless. You see, the tree isn’t made to need courage or consider fear. I grows where it is planted, giving it all it has to succeed in even the toughest environments. It doesn’t know how to quit, and it doesn’t envy the other trees that are straight and tall and have life easy as they reach for the clouds.
We aren’t quite the same, are we? We wrestle with fear all the time. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of humiliation…the list goes on and on. Joshua probably had the same reaction when he arrived at Jericho after wandering in the desert for 40 years. It was a securely walled city. His spies had returned with the news that it was so well fortified that they should not attempt to take it in battle. Two of them disagreed, and so did God. In fact, God spoke to Joshua and told him “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.” God used the past tense, even before the battle was engaged. It was a done deal (it’s kind of handy being “outside of time” and knowing the outcome of things…especially if you have a hand in them.) Joshua wasn’t so sure, I suspect. All those warriors, city walls several feet thick…if only they had someone on the inside, and God provided that…a woman…a woman prostitute. Hmm…probably not exactly what old Josh’ thought was the most useful person in a war. He and his men were probably thinking of traditional battle plans like storming the walls, setting fires, sneak attacks in the dark, or someone inside to kill the night watch guards and open the gates. Nothing seemed to be acceptable as a plan to most of his spies. Then God spoke to Joshua and said basically to form a marching band and play your heart out as you walk around the city…”are you kidding? Seriously? This is your plan, God?” I’m sure Joshua’s courage to go forward on this course of action was pretty weak. Yet he did move forward in faith on God’s promise. I’m sure the folks in the band about the sixth day were thinking this was all pretty silly and pointless, and yet on the 7th day the walls collapsed just like God said they would.
How’s your courage to do what God says? Have you been told you will never succeed at anything, you’re a failure, is that part of your history? I believe God wants us tolive our faith and be a success and a good example for our community. But still we struggle. As for me, I wonder can I daily really put my life on the line for my faith, literally or even figuratively? I know I have a hard time sometimes, even with the little stuff. Maybe you ask yourself the same questions sometimes. Do I stand up and make my faith known to co-workers? Do I believe God will bring me the person he wants me to have for the rest of my life as my mate? Do I go along with the illegal or immoral behavior of my employer or friends? Do I discipline my kids and raise them in the ways that God expects, setting an example every day.
I think of the impossible things that have come to pass in my life by trusting God’s promise and wonder why I have such weakness sometimes in trusting that what he wants will happen. That gnarled and stunted tree in that crack in the rock doesn’t flinch at those challenges or any others, and neither should we.
God has promised us “Fear not, I am with you.”
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