“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJ
“For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” Isaiah 41:13 NKJ
If you woke up to the smell of smoke and discovered that your neighbor’s house was on fire and they were still asleep; what would you do? If you came upon a car accident and two children were stuck in their car seats what would you do? If you were walking down a street and saw a toddler getting ready to run into traffic; what would you do? There isn’t one person reading this devotion who would go back to sleep, drive by, or ignore the toddler. No, you would jump into action and do whatever you could to help! When tragedy strikes we act! Even if we are not bold and courageous people we would find a supernatural energy force that would transform us from Clark Kent to Superman in an instant!
Now let me ask you these questions. What do you do when you hear the economy is taking a downturn? What is your response when you realize there isn’t enough money to cover the bills at the end of the month? What is your reaction when you or a friend receives a negative report from the doctor? Is a supernatural energy force unleashed inside of you the same way it is when major tragedy strikes; or do you cower at the thought of a negative outcome? Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your understanding before you read the rest of this devotion. Ask Him to prepare you to receive the wisdom of His Word so you can understand who you are in Christ in a whole new way!
If I said the words, courage, power, royalty, dignity, authority, dominion, justice, wisdom, intensity, and strength; what animal do you instantly think of? I am sure your answer was lion. Let’s look at how Revelation 5:5 describes Jesus. “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” We have to understand that Jesus went to the Cross as a lamb led to slaughter, but when He rose again, He rose in the power and might of a Lion! Look at what Genesis 49:9 says about Judah. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down; he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?” Jesus came into this world as a baby, became the prey as a lamb, but now He lies down as a lion, full of power and might!
But what does this have to do with us as believers today and what does it have to do with how we act or react to life’s inconveniences, troubles, trials, and tragedies? Ephesians 6:10-11 gives us the answer. It says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Is that the kind of courage you have on a daily basis? Are you strong in the Lord and the power of His might? Does the supernatural energy force of Jesus Christ well up on the inside of you and do you feel the presence of the Lord holding your right hand; as He helps you through life’s struggles? Or do you cower in the midst of them?
It is important to understand that there is a counterfeit who tries to get us to be afraid and to cower in the midst of trials and tragedies. 1 Peter 5:8-9 describes him and tells us how to overcome him. It says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Notice that the Scripture says that he is like a lion, not that he is a lion. The choice we have to make is whose report we believe, and whose strength are we drawing from when a bad report comes or when tragedy strikes! When we said yes to Jesus Christ we were filled with the power of His might, but it is our responsibility to make the choice to access it by believing His Word over the counterfeit lie of the devil. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” You are righteous because of what Jesus did for you on the Cross!
But God will not force us to put on the armor (Ephesians 6:11-18) and He will not force us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand so that He can exalt us in due time. (1 Peter 5:6) He has thoughts and plans for us, but He gives us the free will to call upon Him in our time of need. (Jeremiah 29:11-14) He gives us permission to come boldly before His throne, but will not make us come. (Hebrews 4:16) We have to believe by faith that the confidence of the Lord is ours. (Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 10:35-39) We have to stand against the devil and resist him if we are going to access the supernatural energy force of the Lion of Judah; and have the courage to face life’s struggles and trials without cowering! We have been given the divine nature of God through Jesus Christ! We have to believe that by faith if we want to become strong and courageous in the power of His might! This is the only way to overcome the deception of the devil and to walk in courage during the difficult times in life!
Prayer: Meditate on 2 Peter 1:2-4 and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what it really means to be a partaker of the divine nature of Jesus Christ. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
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