Courage

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

     It was 2009 when the movie came out.  A family was shipwrecked on an island and no one knew where they were.  The husband and father was severely injured, so the wife and her step-daughter fought for survival for all three of them.  The biggest problem they faced, wasn't the shipwreck, or the injury, but the grizzly bear they came upon.  A deputy and his companion were after the bear at that time, but had no idea the family was out there.  The woman and girl had to get all of them out, so they made a make-shift stretcher for the man, to travel to find help.  They even went across the river, and the man almost drowned.  I just saw this movie yesterday for the first time on Netflix and was amazed at the courage it took them to survive.  And the movie was by that name, "Courage".  It starred Jason Priestly, Andrea Roth and Genevieve Buechner. I won't tell you if the bear ate them for his supper, or if the man survived his injuries, or if they even got rescued.  If you haven't watched it, go watch it.  It's well worth it.  But I will tell you that through their ordeal, they mustered up the courage to survive.

     The Lord tells us to be courageous and not be afraid.  I doubt they weren't afraid in this movie, who really wouldn't be?  But they did have the courage to get through it.  And in the story they asked God right away for Him to get them through it.  God is with us through it all.  Through getting married, having babies, kids graduating college, car wrecks, cancer and death.  He will also give you courage to fight all battles that life brings upon you, if you allow Him to.  Putting in all we have to Jesus is what it takes to have the courage at times, when things seem bleak and we are despairing.  Joshua had to fight not only a physical battle, but a spiritual battle as well, and God told him to have the courage and not be afraid.  We may not fight in a war, like many today do, but I can tell you that all of us have either spiritual battles or battles with illness, struggles of life, and loss.  Don't give up when something comes up that you think you cannot handle.  God is there to handle it for you.

     I'm really big into inspirational movies on Netflix and on cable this time of year, whether it's about Christmas or the courage to survive.  These movies give me inspiration to write more on these things and think and reflect what is going on in this world and in my life.  I read quite a bit of course too, and find out new things daily that need working on or thought or prayed about.  I read things and watch things and wonder how we as Christians should react if we were in the characters' place.  What do you need courage for today?  Is it as simple as passing a science test in high school, which really isn't all that simple, or is it as difficult as getting your entire family out of the dangers of a shipwreck and being caught in nature's elements?  Find courage in everyday life, from the smallest to the biggest and rejoice that God has a handle on your life, no matter how it all works out.