10 Bible Stories of Good Courage - Faithful Stewards of God

Finding courage in dark places takes strength, especially when not equipped enough.

God calls on us to increase our faith and trust in what he continues to instill within us even in hard times.

Let's dare step out in faith together and allow God to use us against the enemy as courageous women and men.

 

David stands up to Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

 

The Philistines stand for battle as their greatest champion comes out and presents himself to the Israelites.

His cocky attitude matches the large demeanor of a presence no other has seen.

Goliath stands before them all and calls out any Israel willing to fight against him. No Israelite was ready to stand, so the battle lasted forty days.

David was sent out to feed his brothers in battle when he heard Goliath.

David tells Saul he will take the fight and gathers his sling and stones to use against the giant.

 

Saul warns David that he is unqualified and this giant has been a soldier since his youth.

Saul attempts to put armor on David to prepare him for this battle but rejects it since it is abnormal for him.

David declares that the Lord will deliver victory over this Philistine, and with one strike to the forehead, David kills Goliath.

After his win, he is brought to Saul and defines himself as "I am the son of your servant."

 

Life application: The story of David showed us that nothing is too big for God's power.

He believed that the Lord God would deliver, and God gave victory when he put his faith in what he knew.

A person with no authority can move mountains when he obeys Jesus Christ.

 

It takes great courage for us to reap amazing testimonies in our lives.

What we know to be true can lead us into remarkable places of what God has waiting for us and the great things he has saved specifically placed on you.

Your fear cannot withstand your own strength God has stored inside you.

 

Daniel is unafraid of the Lions' Den (Daniel 6)

 

The high officials planned to find a fault in Daniel to remove him from the kingdom before he could become more distinguished than the rest of them.

They got King Darius to agree to force anyone who served any God who was not the King to be punished by being thrown into the lions' den.

Daniel continued praying and thanking God in the open. The King favored Daniel but could not back down from the law he then set.

He was forced to throw Daniel into the lion's den, mocking the God that Daniel served to deliver him.

 

The next day, King Darius found Daniel untouched by the lions because he trusted his God.

Daniel said, "My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths." The King then wrote to all the people and nations about the Lord God that Daniel served as the living God.

 

Life application: The story of Daniel shows boldness in Christ.

Many of us would tremble at the sight of death right before us but Daniel's courage faced adversity.

The power of faith will shift your perspective from the face of death to knowing you are another step to the promised land.

 

It takes courage to be at the front line of our lives in dire circumstances to take on any fears from sitting and settling into a place of reason.

Our bravery only needs our faith to back it up. We know the living God we serve; our courage and strength come from him.

 

Joshua is called to lead (Joshua 1)

 

A little background information behind this story is Moses, God's faithful servant, has just passed away.

After his passing, the Lord tells Joshua to take the Israelites to cross the Jordan River.

The Lord God then gives his promise to Joshua. "I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will never leave you or forsake you."

 

God proceeds to recite his written truth for Joshua to hear personally from him and give him the confidence he needs to take on this critical role.

He is to follow the commandments Moses had founded that came straight from the Heavenly Father.

Joshua prepares the people to cross the river within a few days. The people declare that they will follow and obey everything, just as they did with Moses.

 

Life application: Joshua did not question or run away from the calling that God called him into.

He embraced such an honorable position and walked into complete obedience. The story of Joshua tells us there is a right time when the Holy Spirit calls you for amazing things.

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 is what God affirms repeatedly throughout the bible: that he will never leave or forsake us.

Our confidence can be found in this, never to become discouraged.

 

Queen Esther stands with the Jews (Esther 4-7)

 

Esther's cousin Mordecai took her in and raised her as his own. You need to know this to understand the depths of the story.

 

Mordecai overheard Haman, the King's greatest rank of his officials, planning to wipe out the Jews.

Mordecai immediately began to protest by stripping down to a sackcloth and purposely breaking the law's prohibitions.

 

Esther hears of his acts and sends a messenger with clothing for Mordecai to quiet and become respectful again.

Mordecai is unwilling to cave in and calls out Esther for her unwillingness to break laws to save her fellow Jews.

 

Esther then kicks into full gear and sends a message for Mordecai to gather the Jews and begin fasting for three days.

Esther has the King and his greatest rank, Haman, over to ask for favor towards her and her people.

She knew the dangers of revealing her ethnicity and approaching the King with a blessing to save her kind.

 

Life application: The story of Esther explains the in-depth of knowing she could be put to death for such measures.

However, it did not stop her from taking a risk that would save others from extermination. Be brave regardless of the consequences that may come with it.

 

Noah stepping out of faith onto the Ark (Genesis 6-7)

 

The Lord was grieving mankind and all of the evilness that continued. However, Noah and his family were righteous and lived by the word of God.

God was now seeing how corrupt humankind had made the earth.

 

He told Noah that he would destroy all of this to stop this from exceeding and further damaging God's promises.

He then instructed Noah on how and what to include in his build of the Ark and to bring two of all living creatures with him.

 

He gathered food for his family and the animals. Noah did everything that God had commanded.

The flood continued for forty days until a week later, a dove was sent out to discover dry land and returned to deliver this message.

 

God wiped out the entire earth and every person and creature with the floodwaters.

The Lord established his covenant with Noah, and every being in the Ark walked out untouched by the flood.

 

Life application: God's tasks can often feel overwhelming, causing us to doubt our abilities.

God can only build our faith when we are willing to step into any calling he leads us into. When he calls, thank him for seeing something you didn't see in yourself.

 

Gideon and the Hundred Men (Judges 6-7)

 

The Midianites oppressed Israel and had them living in great poverty. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and called him to deliver Israel from the Midianites.

Gideon questioned the angel by listing himself as unqualified by his family's status and his youth in his household.

Gideon asked for a sign to confirm this was from the Lord, and he soon realized he was face to face with the Lord.

 

He fretted over seeing him, and God told him not to be afraid. Proverbs 3:25 again states not to fear danger or wickedness.

Later that night, God tells him to tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to his father.

In replacement of it, he wants Gideon to build an altar to the Lord your God.

Gideon was so terrified that he did all this at night to avoid his father's family.

The following day, God sends Gideon several signs that he is ready to overcome the Midianites.

 

Many troops are let go at this time as God wants it to be clear that he has handed over the Midianites and not based on the number of soldiers.

Gideon and the hundred men overcame the army of the Midianites.

 

Life application: Remember that God can deliver us from his goodness, not our reasoning or logic.

Keep your eyes open and receptive to God's messages that have our answers.

 

Abigail a woman of faith (1 Samuel 25)

 

David had arrived in Paran when he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep, where he sent his men to greet him.

He instructed them to greet him in his name and to tell Nabal how he showed favor to his shepherds and no harm had ever taken place.

 

David has his men ask Nabal to give them whatever he has on hand for a feast.

Nabal was harsh, stating, "Who is David?" and why would he give his pastures to others he does not know?

When this was reported back to David, he and his men suited up for battle.

Nabal's wife, Abigail, heard of this encounter and David's plans for her husband and the land.

Abigail quickly gathers meals to give and travels from a hidden view to deliver them to David and his men.

She then pleads for David to stop causing any bloodshed on his men or Nabal's men.

 

He then sent her home in peace, accepting her request.

She went home to tell her husband of these events that caused him to suffer a heart attack. David heard of Nabal's death and sent Abigail to be his wife.

 

Life application: Trust your gut to do what is right that aligns with God's Word. Remain humble and give God glory for your courageous acts.

 

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the blazing fire (Daniel 3)

 

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue to be worshiped by everyone.

He assembled everyone and declared that when the sound of music began, they would fall face down and worship the statue.

 

He stated whoever did not fall to worship would be thrown into the blazing fire.

The sound of a horn blared as people from every nation fell immediately to worship the gold statue.

 

Nebuchadnezzar was informed of a few Jews who were not obeying his decree of worshiping his statue.

He had these men brought to him in a state of rage that he questioned their reasoning.

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, saying the God they serve could save them from King Nebuchadnezzar's power and his burning fire threats.

He ordered his soldiers to tie these Jews up and to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary.

 

The raging flames killed the men who had carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego while throwing them in.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk out untied, with no effect of the fire on their bodies and clothes. Not even the smell of fire was on them.

 

Life application: Death will threaten our faith, but God can bring us up to handle these.

Be so rooted in Christ Jesus that not death nor darkness can shake your faith.

The testing of your faith may not be as extreme as the story but the spirit of fear will attempt to steal God's call on your life.

Follow the promises of God because bad things are inevitable and the sight of God can lead you.

 

Mary and the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-2:20)

 

God sent Gabriel, an angel, to Nazareth to speak to a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to Joseph.

The angel said to Mary, telling her about God's favor in her life.

He explained that she would birth a son and name him Jesus.

He would be great and called the Son of the Most High, reigning over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom would have no end.

 

She questioned the angel since she had never had any sexual relations before with a man.

The angel told Mary the Holy Spirit would overcome her and her cousin Elizabeth, who was considered old and childless.

 

Mary left to tell her cousin this great news, and when she reached Elizabeth, the baby inside her leaped for joy already in her sixth month of pregnancy.

They embraced one another, exalted over the blessing God had favored over the both of them.

Later, while traveling towns, Mary delivered Jesus, wrapping him in cloth and laying him in a manger.

 

Life application: May we never deny what our human eye cannot decipher from God's plan.

Mary embraced the favor of God in her life when I'm sure nobody had reason to believe her.

While scared over her calling, she left to deliver great news to her cousin. Both of these women of courage were in the face of adversity.

Let your courageous acts never water down the joy you pour into others.

 

Jeremiah's Calling (Jeremiah 1)

 

The Lord came to Jeremiah, appointing him as a prophet to the nations.

He protested against God's choosing over him, stating he was too young to speak.

 

Matthew 28:20 is God saying he will always be with you, just as he assures Jeremiah.

God touches his mouth, filling it with his words to uproot, build, and plant. He gives Jeremiah two visions to interpret for the kings of Judah.

 

He tells Jeremiah that he will cast his judgment on them for all the evil they performed, burning incense and worshiping other Gods.

Disaster is coming on all who live in the land. God warns Jeremiah that he will get pushback from these kings, but he does not worry because he will be rescued.

 

Life application: Ask God to give you the knowledge to speak the right words when performing your calling.

Remove fear from creeping in and stealing your calling from you. Rest assured that God is always with us, even more so when he calls us to these places to speak of him.

 

Our courage does not come from our worldly status or good outcomes but from our strength in Christ.

We deny our weak fleshes to walk in unity with the Holy Spirit and to pray for this every day.

The Bible characters exemplify God's calls on our lives whether we decide to be a main character or allow our lack of courage to steal this.