When Courage Calls – Beloved Women – November 29, 2023
READ: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: Psalm 27:14 assures us there are some things we must wait for. Some solutions will take time. Some blessings are best enjoyed after they have been hidden for a while.
But sometimes I have not waited well. I’ve constantly watched the clock on what feels like my crisis. Maybe you know that struggle too. Maybe you’ve prayed the same prayer for weeks, months or even years.
And yet, today’s verse teaches us how to wait for the Lord. We are told to “be strong, and let your heart take courage.”
What will we “let” our hearts do? Typically, courage is a call to action. But in this case, it means to actively trust God. I need divine grit because the bravest version of me is not always about what I need to do. Sometimes it’s about how I need to wait for what God wants to do.
“Wait for the Lord” is at the beginning and end of this verse. It gives us a double dose of an antidote to doubt and fear. Because whether we’re just starting to trust God or have lived our faith for a while, He strengthens our hearts if we keep bringing our hearts to Him.
PRAY: Dear God, You know how long I’ve waited for _____________________. I want to be strong and let my heart take courage. But that won’t happen unless I let my heart trust You. I yield the clock of my crisis to Your sovereign control. I praise You in advance for what You have planned. Steady me as I wait for when and how you’ll reveal it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
REFLECT: Will you “let your heart take courage” or will you let anxiety take your peace in God?
CONNECT: Find more encouragement from Joy A. Williams at www.joyawilliams.com. Subscribe to joyAwilliams.com and receive a free PDF of “Say So Long to Sidetracked,” a biblical approach to overcoming distractions. It’s a great tool for personal study or to share with a group.
© 2020 by Joy A. Williams. All rights reserved.
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