“. . . because he [Daniel] trusted in his God.” Daniel 6:23

2018!!! Yes, that is correct, we have entered into the New Year!

What are you hoping for as you launch forward into 2018?

Wouldn’t it be invigorating, exhilarating, and maybe even electrifying to think that this brand-new year can be the best yet…your dream year…the year full of hope beyond your wildest prayers?

What if this is the year you take your faith to the next level, on a new adventure? What if a fresh perspective changes your attitude and rather than just doing life the same old mundane way, you choose to become daring and experience the very presence of God as you place your unequivocal trust in Him? What if this is the year you have courageous faith?

To understand courageous faith, we must first understand what faith is? The best place to begin is the New Testament book of Hebrews. In chapter 11, the writer tells us that faith, “…is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (11:1). In verse 6, the magnitude and significance of our faith is described when the writer tells us, “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Then we read how Moses’ faith became a courageous faith. “By faith Moses…regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of a greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:26-27). Could it not be said that if we are believing in a living God to whom we pray and we believe He rewards His people because He is a just and true God who keeps His promises, then we exert and demonstrate faith in Him? On this premise, you and I are walking on that pathway to building a courageous faith…ever growing and trusting in Him who is invisible and does the impossible for those with faith that is courageous!

We are all going to be challenged in our faith…what we decide to do with those challenges will determine the GROWTH of our FAITH in Him.

God has taught me a few things over the years about moving from an idle faith into a courageous faith.

Courageous Faith:

– Doesn’t let me walk away from my challenges. It moves me into my difficulties so that I can call on Him and He is glorified! (Daniel chapters 3:16-19, 28-30; and 6:19-23)

– Believes that with God on my side, there is nothing that can slow me down! I’m pressing forward. (Philippians 3:14)

– Boldly states, “I am a child of the King! The God of this universe goes before me as I seek to do and carry out His powerful will!” (1 John 3:1-3)

– Stands in front of the “impossible” and lets the “possible” happen because it says, my God is able! I believe, help my unbelief! (Mark 9:22-24)

– Obeys God and gives a ‘victory shout’ of praise and thanksgiving even before God demonstrates His answer to my prayers. (Joshua 6:2-5)

– Will continue to grow until I stand before my heavenly Father whom I trust. (Psalm 116:1-2)

– Knows that God can turn the tides, darken the sun and hold it still in movement, He can part the waters and cast the mountains into the sea, He can change the heart of the atheist, raise the dead, transform a beaten down life and create a new one. (Psalms 105 all; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

– Acknowledges the majestic presence of God and humbly bows down to worship Him (Daniel 10:12; Psalm 106:11-13)

– Leaves no room for fear when death looms. When God sets the course, we can readily say as did Esther, “When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

At this point, some are completely motivated to make this type of courageous faith their reality…others are still wondering how they can go through such turmoil and brokenness and have even the slightest bit of faith.

In response to the latter, I empathize, as that’s exactly where I stood as a young adult. My doubts and fears held me back until I heard of His great love and forgiveness for me…at that, I surrendered with gratitude! My prayer and hope is that we would all be inclined to evaluate where we are on the spectrum of faith…to be honest with God and let Him in for a moment to do a mighty work in us.

I love these words that speak of the journey God sets us on: “In no way is it enough to set out cheerfully with God on any venture of Faith. You must also be willing to take your ideas of what the journey will be like and tear them into tiny pieces, for nothing on the itinerary will happen as you expect. Your Guide will not keep to any beaten path. He will lead you through ways you would never have dreamed your eyes would see. He knows not fear, and He expects you to fear nothing while He is with you.” (Streams in the Desert, Cowman).

I believe every circumstance that comes our way has deep significance…every situation is specifically hand carved by God himself. Through every trial, our faith has the opportunity to be tested and proven beyond measure. For Daniel, it was his impeccable faith and loyalty to his living God that saved him as he was cast into the lion’s den (Daniel 6:19-23). For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel’s three friends) it was their faith that moved the king as they were thrown into the fiery furnace to face death. Their words were nothing short of courageous faith, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it…But even if he does not, we want you to know, oh king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

In both circumstances, these men were a living witness and example of how we are able to grow our faith in extreme times. We remember God’s track record and His faithfulness to us…we hold fast to our reliance on Him…we believe that He never fails, never changes and never gives up. Now our faith becomes courageous IN HIM.

So, what will this new year bring? Let us believe that through prayer and time in the Word, this can be an amazing year filled with zeal, excitement, and adventure. May this be the year we make God our friend…we stand firm with God when the enemy strikes…and we demonstrate courageous faith when we are put through tough times. May this be the year our faith becomes COURAGEOUS!