Courage and Steadfastness

Be strong and courageous…for Yehovah your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Moses encouraged the Israelites with these words. They were preparing to take possession of the Promised Land as God had commanded them. The people were strong and courageous because God had promised to go before them and fight for them (Deuteronomy 31:2-3).

The Hebrew word for courage, amets, links courageous physical actions with steadfastness of mind. David, a young shepherd and not a trained soldier, had the courage to fight Goliath. David steadfastly believed God, “does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is Yehovah’s (1 Samuel17:47).

Psalm 51 is David’s confession of sin and his prayer to restore his relationship with God. In it, David prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). David’s sin came from the wickedness of his heart. David asks God to write His law on David’s heart, “that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

David also asks that the steadfast spirit, that caused him to believe God and kill Goliath, would not be renewed. He needed courage and steadfastness to face and defeat the Goliath of sin. God answered David’s prayer, “My heart is steadfast” (Psalm 57:7 and Psalm 108:1).

Many blessing flow from a steadfast heart. Most importantly, “He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, and he who pursues evil will bring about his own death” (Proverbs 11:19). When we steadfastly believe in God’s righteousness, we obtain salvation. God’s righteousness was demonstrated through Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Sanctification is also the result of steadfastness. Scripture tells us that we will stand before God “holy and blameless and beyond reproach - if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast” (Colossians 1:22-23).

Our service to God is an expression of our steadfastness. Paul gives thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers because of their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Steadfastness also helps us overcome the fear of our circumstances. The righteous “will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast trusting in God. His heart is supported [by God]” (Psalm 112:7). Further, “The steadfast in mind He will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

Steadfastness of heart and mind comes from studying the word of God and putting in into practice. Steadfastness begins when our “delight is in the law of Yehovah, and in His law [we] meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

If we lack steadfastness we will not be able to face the trials of life, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9).

Let us be steadfast as we live for the one, true God.