Jesus is known as the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the symbol of light and courage. Timothy 2 1:7 says “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, cowardice, or fear, but of power, love, sound judgement and personal discipline.” This is the spirit of courage. The bible verse of Joshua 1:9 encourages people to be strong and courageous in the face of life’s challenges.
The Hebrew term for courage is ometz lev. It literally means “strength of heart.” We need courage in so many ways. It takes courage to stand up for our beliefs, to challenge what is unjust, to take that leap of faith and confront our fears. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but rather relying on God to empower us to move forward with his guidance.
Someone once said “happiness is like a butterfly; if you chase it, it flies away, but if we sit quietly, it will come and land on us.” Faith and courage are much the same. Sit quietly and ask God for these gifts and through time and patience, happiness and courage will be ours. Anne Frank wrote “He who has courage will never perish in misery.” What an example of courage and from a young girl!