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May.31.06: Light for the Day - "Courage: The Heart of a Lion"

-- Isaiah 41:10 
   So do not Fear, for I am with you; 
   Do not be Dismayed, for I am your God. 
   I will Strengthen you and Help you; 
   I will Uphold you with My Righteous Right Hand.

-- Isaiah 12:2 
   Surely God is my Salvation; I will Trust and not be Afraid. 
   The LORD, the LORD, is my Strength and my Song; 
    He has Become my Salvation.

-- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 
13 Be on your Guard; Stand Firm in the Faith; 
     Be Courage; Be Strong.
14 Do everything in Love.

-- Philippians 4:13 
    For I can do everything with the Help of Christ 
    Who Gives me the Strength I need.

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Are you feeling bold as a lion today, ready to pounce on your 
problems and devour challenges with catlike grace and queenly 
glory? Maybe, maybe not. On most days, you may feel more like 
the lion's prey than the lion. Am I a lion or lamb? You bleat to 
yourself as you look danger in the eye and feel your knees knock
together. Then you beat yourself up for your lack of courage, 
thinking that if you were a truly spiritual person, you wouldn't 
be afraid.

But true courage does not come from physical prowess or a 
confident attitude. God is the source of your courage. Through 
prayer, you allow the Spirit to replenish your courage. You learn 
to claim the promises of Scripture, believing that God will provide 
the courage you need at the time you need it. Through gathering 
with other believers, you find encouragement and help to go on 
through difficult times.

True courage resides in the trembling heart that is afraid to try 
but tries anyway. The one who faces a disaster and digs in, even 
though the mess seems hopeless, is the real hero with the heart 
of a lion. It takes courage to stand for your convictions when the 
crowd urges you to compromise. Think of Daniel in the lions' den. 
He knew that God would be with him, and his faith shut the mouth 
of a hungry lion. Courage is willing to take the first step down a 
path of righteousness even though you do not know where that 
path will lead.

Look around you. If you watch carefully, you'll see everyday 
heroes facing the challenges of life courageously. An alcoholic 
goes one more day without a drink. A single mother gets up, 
takes the children to school, goes to work, and comes home 
again at night to mouths to feed and a house to clean. A couple 
must choose a nursing home for a parent with Alzheimer's disease. 
A parent gets a call that her teenager is in trouble again. ...

Now look at your own life. Can you see that you really do have 
courage even when you are most fearful? Do you realize that you, 
too, may be an everyday hero? You may feel like a lamb, 
but God can give you the Heart of a Lion.

-- CL4Life

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   Grace under pressure.
-- Ernest Hemingway

   Courage is doing what you're afraid to do.
   There can be no courage unless you're scared.
-- Eddie Rickenbacker

   Courage without conscience is a wild beast.
-- Robert G. Ingersoll

   You take a number of small steps which you believe are right, 
   thinking maybe tomorrow somebody will treat this as a dangerous
   provocation. And then you wait. If there is no reaction, you take 
   another step: courage is only an accumulation of small steps.
-- George Konrad


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-- Ephesians 6:10-18
10 A final word: Be Strong with the Lord’s Mighty Power.
11 Put on all of God’s Armor so that you will be Able to 
     Stand Firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh 
     and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of 
     the unseen world, against those mighty powers of 
     darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits 
     in the Heavenly realms.

13 Use Every Piece of God’s Armor to Resist the enemy in 
     the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be 
     Standing Firm.
14 Stand your ground, Putting on the Sturdy Belt of Truth 
     and the Body Armor of God’s Righteousness.
15 For Shoes, put on the Peace that comes from 
     the G
ospel, so that you will be Fully Prepared.
16 In every battle you will Need Faith as your Shield to 
     Stop the Fiery Arrows aimed at you by Satan.
17 Put on Salvation as your Helmet, and Take the Sword of 
     the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

18 Pray at All Times and on Every Occasion in the power 
     of the Holy Spirit. Stay Alert and be Persistent in 
     your Prayers for all Christians everywhere.

-- Matthew 26:41 (Mark 14:38)
   Watch and Pray so that you will not fall into temptation. 
   The Spirit is Willing, but the Body is Weak.

-- 1 Peter 5:8 
   Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, 
   your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, 
   looking for some victim to devour.

-- 2 Timothy 4:5 
   But you should keep a Clear mind in every situation. 
   Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord.  Work at bringing 
   others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.

-- Acts 18:9 
   One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: 
   "Do not be Afraid; Keep on Speaking, Do not be Silent."

-- 1 Timothy 6:12 
   Fight the Good Fight of the Faith. Take Hold of the Eternal Life 
   to which you were called when you made your good 
   confession in the presence of many witnesses.

-- 2 Timothy 2:3 
   Endure hardship with us like a Good Soldier of Christ Jesus.

-- 2 Timothy 4:7 
   I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
   I have kept the faith.

-- John 14:27 
   Peace I Leave with you; My Peace I Give you. 
   I do not Give to you as the world gives. 
   Do not let your hearts be troubled and Do not be Afraid.

-- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 But He said to me, "My Grace is Sufficient for you, 
   for My Power is Made Perfect in Weakness." 
  Therefore I will Boast all the more Gladly about my Weaknesses, 
   so that Christ’s Power may Rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I Delight in Weaknesses, 
      in Insults, in Hardships, in Persecutions, in Difficulties. 
      For when I am Weak, then I am Strong.

-- Colossians 1:11-12
11 We also pray that you will be Strengthened with His Glorious 
     Power so that you will have all the Patience and Endurance 
     you need. May you be Filled with Joy,
12 Always Thanking the Father, who has Enabled you to Share 
     the Inheritance that belongs to God’s Holy people, 
     who Live in the Light.

-- Philippians 4:6, 7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 
   by Prayer and Petition, with Thanksgiving, 
   Present your requests to God.
7 and the Peace of God, which Surpasses all understanding, 
   will Guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

-- Romans 15:13  
   May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace as 
   you Trust in Him, so that you may Overflow with Hope by 
   the Power of the Holy Spirit.
   May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace as 
   you Trust in Him, so that you may Overflow with Hope by 
   the Power of the Holy Spirit.
   May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace as 
   you Trust in Him, so that you may Overflow with Hope by 
   the Power of the Holy Spirit.
   May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace as 
   you Trust in Him, so that you may Overflow with Hope by 
   the Power of the Holy Spirit.
   May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace as 
   you Trust in Him, so that you may Overflow with Hope by 
   the Power of the Holy Spirit.


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-- Deuteronomy 31:6, 8
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.
8 The LORD Himself Goes before you and will be with you; 
    He will never Leave you nor Forsake you. 
    Do not be Afraid; do not be Discouraged.

-- Joshua 1:6-9
6 Be Strong and Courageous, because you will Lead these 
   people to inherit the land I Swore to their forefathers to give them.
7 Be Strong and very Courageous. Be Careful to Obey all the Law 
   My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or 
   to the left, that you may be Successful wherever you go.
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 
   Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
   everything written in it. Then you will be Prosperous 
   and Successful.
9 Have I not Commanded you? Be Strong and Courageous. 
   Do not be Terrified; do not be Discouraged, 
   for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

-- Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? 
     The LORD is the Everlasting God, 
      the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
      He will not grow tired or weary, 
      and His Understanding no one can fathom.

29 The LORD gives Strength to the weary 
     and Increases the Power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow Tired and Weary, 
     and the young Stumble and Fall;

31 But those who Hope in the LORD will Renew their Strength. 
     They will Soar on wings like eagles; 
      they will Run and not grow weary, 
      they will Walk and not be faint.


-- Psalms 27:14 
   Wait for the LORD; 
   Be Strong and Take Heart and Wait for the LORD.

-- Psalms 31:24 
   So be Strong and Take Courage, 
   All you who put your Hope in the LORD!


-- Psalms 29:11 
   The LORD Gives Strength to His people;
   The LORD Blesses His people with Peace.