Be Strong and Courageous, and Act

By CBM National intern, Paly Daly – 

Solomon was born to be the King who built the Lord’s temple. He was given incredible riches, imperial status, and supernatural wisdom to accomplish this task from God. Recently, Solomon has become a character of interest to me. His books fascinate me, his words are always inspiring and thought-provoking, and his deeds are incredible. Probably the greatest story I’ve read featuring Solomon, however, isn’t about something he said or did, but something his father, David said to him.

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. —1 Chronicles 28:20

I remember finding this passage during my read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. I was almost stunned. For the most part, 1 Chronicles was just genealogy and history. Then, all of the sudden, David presents one of the most encouraging truths found in the entire Bible. It wraps the whole book up into one central, applicable theme.

I had to stop and mull it over. I had to ask myself how well I was applying this truth to my own life. I had to find a pencil somewhere in that room to underline this passage.

Once I finally found that pencil, I used it to underline and write down the passage, and I thought about it the whole rest of the day.

“Be strong…”

Exercise your faith, and practice it regularly. Fight the good fight. Run the good race. Don’t ever give up. Strength is a quality that Christians should pursue daily, respect highly, and use diligently. In everything, be strong with the true strength that comes only from God (Ephesians 6:10).

“…courageous…”

Don’t ever be afraid. God has called you to have great compassion, strong faith, and a pure lifestyle. Sometimes that requires providing for people you don’t like, stepping outside your comfort zone, risking your safety for God’s Kingdom, or fighting the spiritual darkness that tries to beat you down (2 Timothy 1:7).

“…and act…”

These two words are what really separate this passage from others like Joshua 1:9. Get your hands dirty. Don’t be passive or complacent when there’s work to do. God has put each of us to a task, and before we can do it with strength or courage, we need to do it in the first place (James 2:26).

“Do not fear…for the Lord God…is with you.”

You have the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on your side. He will empower you, protect you, and provide for you while you follow Him. He is consistently faithful and immeasurably merciful. Your faithful service is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6).

“He will not fail you nor forsake you…”

There is no God like my God. Nothing in heaven or on earth compares to God’s power to protect, provide, and redeem. Don’t be afraid of failure. Don’t even consider it as a possibility. God’s got your back, and you can trust Him (Isaiah 41:13).

I happen to be a passive earthling who fears failure and has a tight comfort zone. This passage is not only encouraging, but also challenging. If the wisest and wealthiest man in the Bible needed these words, I do, too.

As I write this blog, I am preparing for my final day at Cedar Point apartments in Raleigh, North Carolina (a ministry of New Life Camp). By the time you read this, I will probably have already transitioned to my next rotation as part of CBM’s National Internship Program. While this post is in “limbo,” I will endure a lot of emotions, conversations, nervous excitement, and discomfort. I will need to be stronger and more courageous than ever, and most importantly—I’ll need to act. I need to put my hand to the plow, and not look back (Luke 9:62).

And so I offer the same challenge to you. Be strong. Have courage. Do something the Lord is leading you to do. He won’t ever leave you. He won’t ever fail you. You are in safe in the hands of the wisest and most merciful God.

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