word4U2day

2026-02-13

Don't let fear stop you (1)

Psalm 27:1 NIV

What does the word 'courageous' make you think of? Maybe the picture in your mind is of someone in a war zone, or battling cancer. Or the emergency services rescuing someone from a dangerous situation. And it's true, all these things take an immense amount of bravery. What probably doesn't come to mind is the small, simple, quiet acts of courage that we don't notice, or that happen in secret. Like someone having the strength to say 'no' when a friend tries to pressure them into doing something wrong. Or tackling a mountain of work that's been building up for days/weeks/months. For some people it might take as much courage to stand up and give a presentation in front of others as it does for a firefighter to run into a burning building.

Life's full of all kinds of fear-inducing situations, and left unchecked, they steal our inner peace. But in those times when fear's nipping at our heels, God says, 'Be strong and courageous' (Joshua 1:9 NIV). Psalm 27 has some great advice about drawing on God for courage when we need it. In verse 4, the psalmist says: 'One thing I ask from the LORD... that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple (NIV).

So one thing we can do is fix our focus on God, keeping by His side and remembering that He won't let us take on more than we're capable of. The psalmist sums it all up in the first verse of Psalm 27: 'The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?' (NIV). In other words, when we're walking with God and trusting Him, we've absolutely no need to be afraid - fear can't touch us when God's around.

Links to Bible verses: Holy Bible

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