Be Strong and Courageous
Tom Barnard
A
mong the many stories that have come to us from the Revolutionary War is one that relates to George Washington. The war was not going all that well for his army, and the General was asked what he would do if defeat were imminent. According to the story, Washington replied,
“I would retreat to some mountain stronghold, and there,
with an army of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, I would fight on forever!”
Courage, determination, and strategic planning alone did not win the victory for Washington and his soldiers. Washington was convinced that the cause was great and that the men he gathered around him were equal to the challenge. About half of his soldiers were Presbyterians. He had faith in his men, and in their God. Surrender was not part of his vocabulary.
No doubt his Presbyterian officers and solders leaned heavily on the Psalms, many of which were written by King David—himself a decent warrior. Here are some of the more relevant passages:
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him,
and I am helped. The Lord is the strength of his people.
Psalm 28: 7, 8
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1, 2
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold
of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?…For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe
in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:1,5
Do you suppose the Apostle Paul had some of these in mind when he wrote to the Church at Rome, “If God is for us, who can be against us”? I believe Paul memorized these psalms and quoted them often.
Sometimes we all need a place of refuge—a fortress or shelter to protect us from dangers that lurk around us. But General Washington thought of a “stronghold” as a place from which to launch attacks—not just a place to hide and lick wounds. Underline the key words above:
Rock…Fortress…Deliverer…Strength…Shield…Shelter…Light…Salvation…Stronghold.
Not one of these words suggests surrender or compromise. They suggest that God is leading an assault, not cowering in defeat. In our lives and careers, are we ever under attack? Often. Are we weak in ourselves? Absolutely. Do we have an unlimited resource? Oh, yes we do. Is our strength found in those friends and family we gather around us? Yes. But the greater strength comes from the Lord. Here is another promise from the Old Testament to encourage you today (Deut. 31:6).
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…
for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Whatever challenges you are facing today, pick one of the promises above and claim it for yourself. Gear up for what is ahead. Prepare to go on the offensive. Have a great week.
This is a Tuesday Morning Classic (’04) for May 29, 2012. Prior essays are accessible at two websites:
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