Do You “Summon” Your Courage?
Sometimes God makes the oddest verses stand out to me. When He does, I know I’m always going to learn something really cool.
This is the one that stood out to me the other day:
2 Chronicles 25:11: Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir.
He SUMMONED his courage? Like he called it and it came?
Huh.
Other versions say he:
Marshaled his strength
Took courage
Strengthened himself
Gathered his courage
Strengthened his position
These all come from the Hebrew root word chazaq, which means to be strong or firm. It’s also the first half of the phrase “be strong and courageous” that the LORD says to Joshua numerous times as they are entering the promised land.
What I want you to notice is that this kind of strength is not “magically” bestowed by God. Yes, there are examples in Scripture of God instantly filling someone with boldness.
But more often in Scripture, we are told WE have to GET courage.
Call to it.
Gather it.
Take it.
Honestly, if you do a deep dive on the verses with this Hebrew word in them, whether it’s Joshua, Gideon, or Amaziah, getting the courage together is up to US.
So how do we do that?
#1 Think about where you are going more than the battle you are facing.
Battles will always seem daunting if that is where our mind is focused. Joshua did not focus on his foe. He focused on the promised land God declared He was giving them. He focused on what he and the whole nation of Israel were going to have AFTER the battles.
#2 Think about WHO you are doing this for.
I’ve heard incredible stories of people running into burning buildings to save someone. That SHOULD fill us with fear. But who they were saving mattered more than the fear. If you are having trouble being obedient to something God called you to, maybe you don’t have a clear picture in your mind of who needs what God wants you to give.
#3 Remember what God has already done.
Gideon is the perfect example here. He was threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianites, when God called him a mighty warrior. And Gideon was NOT feeling it. So he asked for a sign. Then he asked for another one (the fleece, remember?). And God answered him every single time.
Then in Judges 7, before the battle, God told Gideon that if he was still afraid, he could sneak down to the enemy camp and listen. God promised that his hands would be strengthened (that same word, chazaq) by what he heard. Gideon went, overheard a Midianite soldier describing a dream that predicted Israel’s victory, and the very next thing Gideon did was worship. Then he went back and said, “Get up! The Lord has given the camp into your hands.”
Notice what happened. Gideon gathered his courage by looking at what God had already shown him. God’s track record became his fuel.
So if you’re struggling to summon courage, stop staring only at the battle ahead and look back. Where has God already come through for you? Write it down. Say it out loud. Let the proof of His faithfulness do the strengthening.
But here’s the warning.
Remember Amaziah, the guy who summoned his courage in the Valley of Salt? A few verses later, after that huge victory, he brought home the gods of the very people he had just defeated. He set them up as his own and bowed down to them (2 Chronicles 25:14).
Courage got him into the battle. But he got complacent in his dedication to the LORD after he won.
You can gather bravery for the big, dramatic moment and then drift from obedience that is needed after. Leaps of faith are one kind of courage. Staying faithful once the adrenaline wears off is another.
So I want to leave you with this today:
Where is God asking you to be brave in the BATTLE?
And where is He asking you to be brave in the OBEDIENCE afterward?
Take a minute and answer these two questions: Where am I going? and Who is this for? Then go summon it. It’s yours to gather.
In passionate purpose,
Dorothy
Father,
Thank You for being a God who has already come through for me. When I look back, I see Your fingerprints all over my story, and I don’t want to forget it.
You know the battle I’m facing right now. You know where I’m tempted to stare at the giant instead of the promise. Help me lift my eyes to where You’re leading me and to the people You’re asking me to serve.
Give me the courage to gather what You’ve already put in my hands. Help me call to it, take it, and step out, even before I feel ready.
And LORD, keep my heart. Help me stay obedient in big and small moments. Don’t let me drift after a victory. Keep me close to You.
I’m summoning my courage today, and I’m trusting You to meet me in it.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
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