Welcome to today’s Daily Redemption — where we confront fear not with denial but with divine command, and discover how one particular verse has carried real people through chemo, job loss, divorce, and more.
What does real courage look like in the face of chemo, job loss, or divorce? This Daily Redemption explores how Joshua 1:9—”Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you”—has carried countless people through their darkest valleys. Learn why biblical courage isn’t about feeling brave, but about trusting God’s presence in real crisis. Based on Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, and Psalm 46:1 and 5 other on-point corroborating scripture quotes.
Featured Scripture and Commentary
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
That is one that you might carry in a card in your wallet or on a bracelet but I will share with you 7 more equally powerful quotes below to help you through the day. I am one that can speak on both sides – times of apparent great courage and times of weak-kneed cowardice.
On the apparently brave side was when I almost died in the hospital and woke up from being semi-comatose with a 106 fever to hear from the medical tech what terrible shape I was in and inquired as to whether I was going to die. I was ambivalent except that my concern about my passing would be tough on my mom and on my cats. But I literally could not have felt otherwise because I was bathed in peace that surpassed my understanding but I could only respond “I feel good though”. The other was at a previous church I attended only a couple of miles from BC. It was Thursday night and I was helping with the teenagers. Man were they all so very messed up and man did I love them. I felt I would be happy and honored to die for those kids if need be. They were self-hurt victims, gender confusions, all of it. But I was told there was a kid outside who was carrying. Well let’s see what could possibly go wrong? Surrounded with kids with all kinds of mental health issues, one with a gun at a church where the spirit of Jezebel was already wreaking chaos and confusion. But I went out and told him that we desperately would love to have him in the church but that he was carrying too much of the world in his pocket. He went away. Yay me. Was I really courageous or did I just feel safe?
But I also spent years in an abusive environment – coercion, manipulation, extortion, accusations and feeling they owned my soul. And I was too cowardly to walk away from it all, for years, until I fell out the bottom – hopeless, pointless, time to go.. Yes terrible but it blessed me in ways that make me set apart because nobody else I have known since had to endure that kind of challenge. Paul speaks several times of how he feels blessed by insults and attacks of different kinds and I can relate. These attacks were not persecution. It was about trying to force me to measure up to the standards required of the “elite crew” of their religion. There was also another time I was held up at gun point buy a guy in a mask. He wanted money, we had none. It was just me and a guy on crutches at the moment. I told the guy we had no money he should leave us in the bathroom and move the copy machine in front of the door and leave. Truth is I coulda-shoulda swung around and knocked the guy down the stairs (or the guy with the crutches could have) but telling him to lock us in the bathroom was the most bravery I could muster. The other staff there were not happy with me on their return because of the broken copy machine lol. Yep, not “oh my! thank goodness you are still alive. Are you sure you are okay? someone make him some tea and cookies.” Nope – “you broke our copy machine” haha.
Way too much about me. Here is the point. We will endure tests. I reference 1 Peter 1:6-7 and he spoke of this a few other times as did others of course but he said “Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine”. I also refer the other 8 quotes featured and corroborating in this bulletin. I have faith in the faithful who are reading this that when courage is called upon the Lord will fill you up, you will feel his protection and act bravely and courageously. And if you do not then you will have another opportunity until you pass that test and then you can rejoice on that day. Stay centered in our Lord, saviour, intercessor, advocate and guiding light and His Father. Be courageous or feel safe because you know you are kept and protected. Amen.
