Courage: Settled in God's Sovereignty
'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' . . . .- Isaiah 46:10 (NKJV)
God is sovereign. That means He is subject to none, influenced by none, threatened by none. He does all that He pleases and cannot be thwarted, hindered, or overcome. Those who oppose Him are only able to do so because He allows it, and in the end, every rebellious thought, word, and deed will be put down and punished. God is unstoppable and sovereign.
But wait, it gets better. As Christians, we have determined to be on God's side because we have decided to obey Him by believing in His Son, Jesus (John 6:29). And because we are on His side, He is on ours. Think it through: the unstoppable, sovereign God who commands the universe is in your corner! And when He is for you, what do you have to worry about?
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NKJV)
With this in mind, the question isn't, How can we be courageous, but How can we not be courageous? No matter what you're facing in this life, I can guarantee you that it's smaller than the Lord. Even if you tallied up all the adversity experienced in the history of mankind, it still wouldn't be in the same galaxy as the greatness of your God! The difference is as vast as the difference between the finite and the infinite, and that's a gap that can never be closed.
I'm convinced that the devil has an agenda to make us forget about this. He knows we tend to rely on ourselves, so he makes it his mission to blind us to the fact that God is sovereign and that He is for us. When we forget this, it's only natural to dwell on our own resources and lose courage. But Christians turn into lions when they remember God is sovereign and in their corner. Consider this a reminder!
DIG - Why should Christians be the most courageous people on the planet?
DISCOVER - When was the last time you did something courageous? How did your connection to God factor in?
DISPLAY - How can you create a greater awareness of God's sovereignty in your life?
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At the age of 24, Bob Coy left a coveted position in the music industry to serve as an associate pastor with Calvary Chapel of Las Vegas. In 1985, Bob and his wife, Diane, moved to Fort Lauderdale and began Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale. As senior pastor, he has become well known for his unique style in expounding the Scriptures, making them come alive and relate to those of us living in the 21st century. His teaching style emphasizes the believer's "life application" of the highest standards of God's truth while his delivery captures the loving heart of God's Spirit.
Pastor Bob has had the rare privilege of watching God's miraculous hand move in the individual lives of those in the fellowship as well as the corporate body as a whole. From the first meeting in a living room with four in attendance, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has now become home to over 17,000 men and women from the tri-county area, and ranks as the eighth largest church in the country. Though many have tried to attribute its rapid growth to numerous reasons, no one is more surprised by the phenomenon than Pastor Bob, who gives total credit and all the glory to God alone.
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