Taking Courage

I don’t know if this applies to anyone else, but I feel like fear has become a big part of my life.  I’ve been terrified of the pain I might experience at another one of those examinations.  My last appointment was so traumatic and the doctor so non-understanding that I’ve been dreading actually looking for a doctor who will give me a clear diagnosis.


Fear (google dictionary)
verb

1. be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event;
2. be uneasy or apprehensive about; I fear the results of the final exams;
3. regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of;

I decided to look fear up on biblegateway.com.
As I was going through I realized that there were plenty of examples of fear, and all ended badly.  You have Abraham when he’s afraid to tell the Pharaoh that Sarah is his wife.  You have the Israelites who were afraid to go into the promise land.  The Egyptians ended up getting sick and giving Sarah back to Abraham (I don’t want to know what Sarah had to say to Abraham after that mess), and you had the Israelites wandering around the desert for 40 yrs.
  There was only one way that fear had a positive reference and that was taking into account definition number 3.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
  but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I then decided to think about what was the opposite of fear in the number 1 and 2 definitions.  The words that came to mind were courage and confidence.

Courage  (google dictionary)
noun

1. a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear

Confidence (google dictionary)
noun

1. a state of confident hopefulness that events will be favorable;

Back to putting courage into biblegateway.com.

Deuteronomy 3:7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.

1 Chronicles 18:20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

These verses talk about taking courage because God is with us.  I think about Peter as he was walking on water toward Jesus.  He was fine until he took his eyes of Christ.
So I’d like to encourage any of you who feel like me, to be strong, take courage and know that the Lord is with you.

Psalm 71: 5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

Hebrews 13:5-6  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
  “Never will I leave you;
  never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence,
  “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
  What can mere mortals do to me?

P.S. My goal for this week is to keep my eyes on Christ as I have scheduled my first gyno appointment since the last doctor for this Thursday.  My prayer is that I won’t chicken out and I will go.