Courageous Christianity

Our Heavenly Father Cares Devotional – March 6, 2025

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9

Spiritual courage comes from believing that God [God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit] is Sovereign, Omniscient [All-Knowing], and Omnipotent [All-Powerful].

With faith and trust, we believe in God’s unconditional love and faithfulness to humanity [we were created in His likeness, and Jesus gave His life to save our souls], and acknowledge He knows what is best for our lives, therefore, we honor and revere His Holy Name through faithful obedience.

[Spiritual] Courage is a choice to obey and move forward on God’s Chosen Path for our lives even when we do not understand. Because we love God, even when facing the harsh vicissitudes of life, we courageously ignore our thoughts of self-reliance, pray for God’s guidance, and wait for His answer.

Courage is the righteous attribute that tells us to use our blind faith to Keep Moving Forward in Jesus’ Divine Strength. Courage requires us to take giant leaps of faith despite the continuous roadblocks of trials and hardships. From our willingness to obey God, the Holy Spirit strengthens our faith and confidence in God even when we do not understand the reason for His directive.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:9

God reminds us that His thoughts will always supersede our understanding, yet, obedience touches God’s heart, when we obey His plans, we know the outcome is always victorious. Providence is “God’s involvement in every aspect of our lives, from birth to death, and from heaven to earth.” Every faithful and obedient believer can live with the joyful expectation of receiving God’s Divine Providence in their lives. Yes and Amen. Great is His Faithfulness!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” —Romans 8:28

“God leads people in ways that are best for them, even if those ways seem mysterious.” Throughout the Bible, we find that God gives directives without giving an “explanation of why.” Jesus Healing the Blind Man: “And He [Jesus] said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing” (John 9:7).

When praying for Divine Help, we may have the expectation of knowing all the intricate details, but God will never comply according to our wishes. We must pass the test of faith by obeying His instructions as given. One certainty that we know from the Scriptures is that God’s directives are never vague or confusing, we do not have to guess what He wants us to do, yet we will never receive the rationale.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes…” (Proverbs 3:7). Every day we decide whether to choose Divine Providence or to fulfill our desires and plans. To follow Christ, we must accept that human knowledge and perception are limited and influenced by many factors including our life experience. We cannot know what is best for us. Much prayer for an increase in strength is required to maintain a spirit of humility and faithfully obey Yahweh [“I Am Who I Am”].

“LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” —Jeremiah 10:23

Without God, there is a certain level of chaos and confusion that always resides in a person’s life. When everyone around us is relying on their human wisdom, and it appears that all is well, behind the scenes, the Scriptures reveal their minds will never experience a moment of God’s peace. Do not be deceived, unbelievers readily give advice but rarely discuss the consequences of their misguided decisions.

Our Heavenly Father does not want us to live a life filled with anxiety, worries, or suffering the consequences of excluding Him from our decisions. Despite our resourcefulness and accomplishments, we cannot control circumstances, predict the future, or guarantee outcomes even when utilizing the best strategic planning.

“But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” —Proverbs 4:19

Unlike the unbelievers who reject God and His Divine Providence, we cannot afford to play the Game of Chance—renounce self-reliance by choosing to seek God’s will through daily surrender. When everyone else says yes, we use our spiritual courage to swim against the tide. Never feel coerced to make an immediate decision. Always pray and wait for God’s guidance.

“Now the just [righteous] shall live by faith…” (Hebrews 10:38). Obedience keeps us aligned with God’s perfect plans, always includes much-needed blessings, and guarantees we will not suffer from delayed consequences that we did not anticipate, but are guaranteed to happen.

What does Courageous Christianity look like in real life?

At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect on the minor inconveniences you encountered but easily resolved. Chances are you never thought about asking God for help. The downside is that self-reliance does not always reveal itself as wilful disobedience. God knows our weaknesses and will allow our faith to be tested in various ways. Pray about everything!

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” —1 Peter 5:8

Nothing that produces opposition in our lives just happens. One temptation that every believer fails is giving into Self-Reliance. Not all tests of faith and obedience are on a grand scale [trials that are impossible for human effort to resolve], it is life’s small disturbances and issues that lead us to make quick resolutions and exclude God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” —Proverbs 3: 5-6

The trusting heart involves God in every aspect of their lives. Pray over your life [and your family] and wait for God’s answer. Yes, we can resolve many situations, but we pray for Divine guidance because we trust in God and will never experience regrets. Steadfast courage is not only essential in resisting our internal urges to move forward without involving God but also needed to actively participate in our journey of spiritual growth and transformation.

“…I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.” —John 8:28-29

From praying daily for God’s will to be revealed, the Holy Spirit empowers us with Jesus’ Divine strength, which deepens our faith and strengthens us to overcome temptation. To pray in faith means we refrain from making decisions until we receive an answer from God.

The struggle against our desires is real! Renouncing self-reliance is a daily internal battle that requires true worship in spirit and truth. Every day, we need Divine power to strengthen our spiritual courage, as we have the responsibility to cultivate the spirit of humility required to depend on God.

“Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the LORD rescues him from them all.” —Psalm 34:19, Amplified Bible.

Daily surrender prepares us for when the major storm arrives. Instead of thinking, What am I going to do? our immediate response is to pray for God’s help. Because we have established the habit of depending on God, we pray in faith with the confidence that God will bring resolution. Despite the circumstances or the time required to wait on God, we should remain hopeful and courageous.

“Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” —Jeremiah 32:27

A spiritual chain of reaction occurs when we use our faith to pray and patiently wait for Divine Intervention. Not only do we receive God’s guidance but we also gain spiritual wisdom—an attribute required to live courageously which allows us to perceive life through spiritual eyes. 

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” —Psalm 27:14, NLT

From trusting God, we are empowered daily with Christ’s strength and gifted with His inner peace which allows us to courageously walk through life even when the storms are raging without anxiety, worry, or fears. And this brothers and sisters is real-life Courageous Christianity!

Prayer: “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:7-8). Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry