Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV
Courageous
In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II established a series of medals recognizing courageous acts. In the last 50 years, Governors General have awarded Decorations for Bravery to more than 4200 recipients: Canadians and others, civilians and uniformed personnel, living and deceased—in recognition of acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances that range from potential drownings and vehicle accidents to animal attacks and burning buildings. Last September, marking the 50th anniversary of the Decorations for Bravery, Governor General Mary Simon presented 40 awards to courageous Canadians.
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There are lots of things in this world that are reasons for fear. Natural disasters, criminal activities, disease, all seem to be on the increase – or at least social networking allows us to hear about these kinds of things more often. In reality, the world has always been a scary place. The Lord of all Creation understands this, and promises us His presence as the antidote to fear. In fact, the number one command in the Bible is “fear not!” One example of this is Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The context of this command is the call on Israel to enter the Promised Land. They will face many enemies, and at times things will look impossible. So, God gives them a command – do not be afraid – and a promise – I will go with you.” God gives that same command and promise to us. We will face our own giants – some of you are facing them right now. Be assured, follower of Jesus, He is with you through it all – so take courage.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley