This is the third and final post in our series on battling fear. In the first post, we saw how the person of God allows us to live courageously. In the second post, we looked at the three ways the presence of God gives us courage. As we wrap up Psalm 27 we will see how the Promises of God give us courage.
The Promises of God Give Us Courage
I love the way this Psalm ends. Look at the last two verses, 13 and 14.
Psalm 27:13-14 I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD.
Writer Job Bloom said, “Good courage is fueled by faith in the ultimate reality: what God promises his people.”1
By faith, David resisted the temptation to overestimate what threatened him and underestimate God’s power or willingness to keep his promises. Letting his heart take courage meant letting himself believe God’s promises. Therefore, good courage must be taken — we must take hold of real promises given by the real God so that having done all, we can stand firm in the evil day2. Come what may, we know that we “will see the LORD’S goodness in the land of the living.” We cannot go back to fear. We must lead our hearts to take courage by believing that what God has already promised to us.
Paul gives us a helpful encouragement in 2 Corinthians. He says 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Even if the worst should happen, we have an inheritance from God that cannot be touched. And because of that promise, Paul says in verse 6 So we are always confident. God’s promises are bigger than any fear we might have. They fuel good, biblical courage.
A Word From The King
One of my favorite movies (outside Lord of the Rings) is Darkest Hour. It’s about Winston Churchill in WW2. In the movie, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: fearfully exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or courageously standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty, and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, fear is everywhere. The public is unprepared, the king is skeptical, and Winston’s own political party is plotting against him. Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.
In the movie, there is a great scene in which Churchill is sitting alone in his room wrestling with this decision, and he is about to give in to fear. He is about to resign himself to do what he does not believe is right. And as he is wrestling within himself, the King of Britain walks into the room and tells Winston,
“You have my support. I confess I had some reservations about you at first, but while some in this country dreaded your appointment, none, none dreaded it like Adolf Hitler. Whomever can strike fear into that brute heart is worthy of all of our trust. We shall work together. You shall have my support at any hour. Beat the buggers.”
It’s such a great line. In the movie, that word from the King fueled the courage of Winston Churchill and changed the direction of the war.
We Can Be Brave
We have the support of our King and we don’t have to live in fear.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
We can fight our battles because our King has given us not only his support but everything we need for life and godliness. We can beat fear. Orient your life around God and live courageously.
Click here to watch the full sermon.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Nick Minerva
Featured Image by ddzphoto from Pixabay
