To be brave is almost the same as courageous. The dictionary describes Brave as; possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance. I don’t know for sure if I’ve ever been really brave. Maybe a little brave. I have done things that were hard, scary and I may have I endured them fairly well. I do believe I did my best.
When I think of Brave people I think of David who killed Goliath. He truly was an example of bravery. His story is one of my favorites. The scripture reads:
1 Samuel 17:20 And David 1-rose up early in the morning, and 2-left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as 3-Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
1-He was not lazy, 2- He was responsible, leaving the sheep with a keeper, and 3-Obedient doing what his father had commanded him to do.
Then he finds out that this Philistine had been taunting them for 40 days, saying he would fight any of the soldiers. Goliath was huge, and probably ugly and very intimidating. David is surprised that Israelite Amy is not going up against him. He goes to Saul the King and asks if he can go up against Goliath. Saul says no, you’re too young, you are not a soldier and just a shepherd boy. So David tells the king about all the times he has save the sheep from wolves and bears, killing them and saving the sheep. 35 And 4-I went out after him, and smote him, and 5-delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and 6-smote him, and slew him.
David, 4-Was brave and determined to stop the wild beasts from killing the sheep. 5-He saved the sheep right out of the mouth of the beasts. 6-Then he finished the job so the wild animal couldn’t come back after the sheep.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
This is one of my favorite parts, he is using persuasion to convince the king about something the king already knows. The Israelites were the army of the Living God. You cannot go wrong with God on your side. So of course Saul says he can do it. He gives him armor, it’s too big, so David says I will go out without it. So Brave! He chooses 5 smooth stones and heads out to meet Goliath, and says:
46 This day will the Lord adeliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may bknow that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the abattle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
Wow!! Just, wow! Of course then all the army of the Israelites are cheering and ready to go after the Philistines.
David of course became very well known and eventually became the king. I love this story and David because he is so focused on what is important at each moment in this story. Most important to me is that, he was so brave. He was young, and not a soldier, but he showed all the soldiers what true bravery is like. He knew that His God had protected him at other times in his life and he knew that God can be trusted with what He says He’ll do. He believed and had faith. Faith is a principle of action. When you believe you need to go and do what you know you should and what God commands.
I know others who have been brave. Ancestors who crossed seas and continents to find a special place to live and believe what they knew to be true. I have parents and brothers who went through many challenges in theirs lives with bravery and endurance. I know that being Brave is very important in this world. We know we’re here to learn and grow. Some learning is scary and hard. Sometimes we have experiences that we know are coming and we don’t want to go through, but if our focus and trust in in the Living God, we can be Brave and go through hard things, and come out successful and true at the end.
