DAY 168: Strength and Courage

DAY 168

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic    

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Twenty-four Saturday 29 August 2020

Strength and Courage

“It is not easy to live out acting peacefully toward everyone. Even so, we must do our best to share with others the love God gave us through His Son, Jesus. Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, you came to earth to bring us all peace. It’s not easy for us to act peacefully toward everyone and show them love the way You did. Please give us the strength and courage to do the right things, show us the way we can share Your love with others, and help us to be a people who are peaceful. Amen.” - Robbie Romano, Patuxent Presbyterian Church VBS Distanced Devotional Summer 2020

Strength and courage – a lot of us are finding these two qualities in short supply these days. Strength lacking courage is unwilling to serve us well, and courage devoid of strength is unable to serve us well.

Strength we understand if by it we mean physical strength. Inner strength is more elusive yet equally needful. Here the strength being prayed for is an inner strength, a sense of resolve, “to do the right thing.” Courage comes to us from the French ‘’coeur’ which in turn comes from the Latin ‘cor’ meaning heart. Thus the NIV has Jesus saying in John 16:33 “’But take heart! I have overcome the world!” where the RSV has “But take courage; I have conquered the world!” 

The writer of this VBS devotional is calling on us to seek strength and courage to do the right thing specifically in the area of relationships where a loving peaceful presence is needful and at the same time probably difficult to come by. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love…peace…” we are reminded in Galatians 5:22, qualities of person not required of us alone, but available from within where the Holy Spirit dwells making  who Jesus is real in and then through us in our relationships with others. So we pray with hopeful confidence, “Please give us strength and courage to do the right things, show us the way we can show your love to others, and help us to be a people who are peaceful.” This is the kind of prayer Jesus delights in answering.  

Reflective question: Where do you need strength to do the right things and courage to do it?

Reflective Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:6 – ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…”

Reflective hymn:

“Courage, Brother, Do Not Stumble” – Norman McCloud” (1812-1872)

Courage, brother, do not stumble, though thy path be dark as night;

There’s a star to guide the humble: trust in God and do the right.

Let the road be rough and dreary, and it’s end far out of sight,

Foot it bravely; strong or weary,

Trust in God, trust in God, trust in God and do the right.