Faith and courage
2 October 2009

Faith and courage walk together. There’s no faith without courage and there is no courage without faith. One depends on the other in order to conquer.

God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. Not strong in the physical sense, but spiritually, which is related to a person’s convictions.

Everything in life depends on faith and courage: faith to believe in oneself and above all, in God; and courage to put this faith into practice.

Faith must be focused on a person’s partnership with God—faith in him or herself and in God. When faith is focused only on God, it doesn’t work, which is the case with religious people. They learned to believe in God, but not in themselves. That’s why they lack strength to act out their faith.

Although Joshua had been called, chosen and anointed, he had to follow God’s advice in order to succeed. Because his success depended on this, God told him to be strong and courageous three consecutive times. Moses had also given him the same piece of advice, just as David did with Solomon (1 Kings 2:2).

Has this advice lost its meaning?

Every conquest, including eternal salvation, depends on the practice of this very same advice.

God’s command is: faith and courage. In other words, be strong and courageous.

God bless you all.

Bishop Macedo