The Connection Between Obedience And Courage

The more we experience God’s presence, the more the connection between OBEDIENCE and COURAGE becomes apparent. In a culture so riddled with anxiety, God’s Word is our constant reminder about how to help ourselves and others escape the prison of anxiety. A couple of passages which have encouraged me to live right with God and thus bolstered my courage for everyday life are:

Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we KNOW that He abides in us, by the SPIRIT whom He has given us.

1 John 3:24 NKJV

The WICKED flee when no one pursues, but the RIGHTEOUS are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 28:1 NKJV

If we are living in obedience to God’s Word, He promises to “abide” in us. Can you imagine any greater reason to live courageously than that Almighty God—Creator of everything—is living within you? By living in the purity of obedience to His Word, we open our life up to His powerful presence. In fact, we even WELCOME God’s chastening hand because we know HIS discipline brings us closer to the great POWER of His presence. What a triumphant experience to live in God’s presence! The Psalmist wrote:

The Lord is on my side; I will NOT fear. WHAT can man do to me?

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 

The Lord IS my STRENGTH and song, and He has become my salvation. 

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the RIGHTEOUS; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 

I shall not die, but LIVE, and declare the works of the Lord. 

The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord. 

This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation.

Psalms 118:5-9,14-21 (excerpts)

Obedience to God in EVERY area of our life draws us closer into a great sense of His presence. In God’s HOLY presence there is no fear of EVIL. In His presence, our ONLY anxiety is the fear of NOT being near HIM. This is the connection of obedience and courage. When we are living in loving obedience to God…

• We know who we are;
• We know who we belong to;
• We know our mission; and 
• We know we can trust the Captain of our soul! 

Loving obedience to God makes us courageous NOT anxious!

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

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