Be strong and of good courage (John 16:33)

8 years ago Evangelical Ministry 0
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Perilous Times.

Times are becoming hard and the economy is not improving. The rates of unemployment, job losses, insecurity, product prices, exchange rate, house rents and education fees are increasing on daily basis. In some countries today, there is a great famine, tribulations, persecution, landslides, earthquakes, hurricane resulting in increased frustration, anger, hunger, massive death and devastation of the society. Living is becoming frightening and some people are losing confidence being scared of what tomorrow will be.

The Good News!

The good news is that you are still alive. Yes. You still breathe. Or don’t you know that some have dies due to the present hardship and deplorable living conditions? The truth is that some have lost their lives in terrible and painful circumstances. But here you are –alive. Halleluiah.

But now that you are alive, there is someone you need most dearly in your life.  He comes to assist you face the present challenging circumstances and to overcome. He comes, among other things, to make you bold and very courageous and to ensure that none of the situations of life overwhelms you. You cannot live the present life alone neither can you surmount the ever increasing difficulties of life by your struggle.  No. Scripture said that by strength shall NO man prevail.

Who Is He?

His name is Jesus Christ. He is the redeemer, our salvation, our deliverer and our life. In Matthew 14:27, He said, ‘Take courage, It is I, do not be afraid.’   Further, in John 14:33, He said, ‘In me you will have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but cheer up, I have overcome the world.’ He comes to guide, instruct and direct us toward living a successful life and not to be afraid. King David, in Psalm 27:4 said, ‘the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’

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Hear His Words:

1 Chronicles 28:20:-  ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD GOD, my God, is with you. He will not fail nor forsake you…’

Isaiah 43:1-2:-  ‘Fear not…When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle on you’ Fire and water here signify calamity and danger.

Philippians 4:13:- ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Why Should I Be Strong and Very Courageous?

  1. To overcome hardships and surmount challenges of life (2 Timothy 2:3-5): ‘Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do,’ was a title of book written by Dr. Robert Schuller, in a bid to motivate people to positive self-image. Truly Christ makes His
  1. To greatly achieve the purpose of one’s creation (Jeremiah 1:5-8): There is a purpose for which God created each of us. And to fulfil them, we must be determined, firm and focused.
  1. To excel in our chosen profession (Genesis 26:12): Reaching great height in life is not easy. It involves a lots of rigorous processes which a weak and fainthearted individual would not ensure.
  1. For a successful leadership (Joshua 1:7): Every leader must be a man of strength. He must be courageous enough to face and overcome challenges that will come during his leadership.
  1. To effectively keep God’s command (Joshua 1:8): God wants our best in life and has given us basic principles, moral laws, to live by them. One need to be strong to keep God’s commandment of love, of holiness and of righteousness. God does not want any of His children to be weak. Let the weak say ‘I am strong’ (Joel 3:10)
  1. To overcome the enemy (Ephesian 6:10-11): The enemy comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. And one of the ways the evil one gets his prey is through weakening of one’s faith, producing doubts and unnecessary arguments on strong principles of morality. But God encourages His faithful to be watchful.
  1. To Endure to the end and obtain reward (Matthew 24:13): To ensure to the end, you need to be strong in the Lord and He in turn will make you courageous.
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How Do I Remain Strong and Courageous?

Every good and perfect gift comes from God. It is the Lord gives strength to His people. He lifts one up and lets another down. How do I remain perpetually strong and achieve much in life. It starts with coming back to God, believing and trusting in Him at all times.

Learn to do the following:

  1. Fear God continually: Be obedient to Gods command. Fear Him every day and He will strengthen you (Proverb 9:10).
  1. Draw closer to God: we draw nearer to God through regular prayer, meditation and quiet reflection in His words (James 4:8).
  1. Grow your Faith: Faith comes by hearing the word of God. We build faith in God by relying in His words in living our lives (Romans 10:17).
  1. Make wise and godly friend: Associate with men that know God and that have strong character. The scriptures says that iron sharpens iron (Proverb 27:17)
  1. Love righteousness: Living a good and upright life is always beneficial. It keeps you pure and sacred and you easily obtain your request from God. Righteousness exalts a nation (Proverb 14:34)
  1. Desist from evil: Doing evil is shameful. It bring regrets, pains and even death. There is no lasting joy in evil but sorrow. And scripture says that the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20)

Divine Invitation:

We encourage you remain strong and of good courage. This will enable you endure and overcome the contemporary challenges and difficulties of life. And true strength is in Christ Jesus. Come to Him, Believe in Him and abide in His words. He will see you through. Amen.

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