Stoutheartedness

Are you a stouthearted person? Each of our answers should be a resounding YES!!!

Because to be stouthearted means to be courageous, determined, brave and resolute. We should have a fierce confidence in God and His ability to help us endure, persevere, and overcome every trial we face.

Luke 1:37 NIV

"For nothing is impossible with God."

When I reflect on the unshakeable faith of the woman in the Bible who had been bleeding for twelve years, I am in awe of her resolute determination to find healing.

She did everything she could on her own, she met with doctors, she spent all the money she had and yet nothing healed her. Sound familiar? How many times have we tried to do things on our own and failed and yet, at times we make excuses for not trusting God completely.

Why are we so quick to believe the devil's lies and to accept defeat? Friends, we need to become stouthearted just like this bleeding woman. Joshua 1:7-9 reminds us to be strong and courageous and to meditate on His Word daily so that we can be successful and prosperous.

In this woman's mind, the last resort was to touch Jesus' clothing because she believed if she could do that she would be healed. Today, I want to encourage you to seek Jesus and surrender your situation to Him so you can experience His healing comfort and strength.

Mark 5:25-28 NIV

"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."

Think about the vigorous bravery she had to muster up to be in public. Due to her bleeding, she was considered unclean, the Jewish law mandated that contact with graves, blood, or death made one ceremonially unclean, so she lived as an outcast. So, we understand why it was a huge risk for her to enter into a crowd of people to reach Jesus because if she touched anyone, they too would become unclean.

Mark 5:29-34 NIV

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

What I've realized through this powerful story is that our faith should be equally unshakeable. We should not allow the devil to make us shrink back in fear because we have witnessed that there is healing and restoration on the other side of that fear. We must stand firm in our faith and be resolute and unwavering in dismissing every single lie the devil tells us. We can be stouthearted and confident because we know God has given us courage and determination to overcome every obstacle placed in front of us.

Ask God what lesson He is teaching you through each trial and think of the wisdom and confidence you'll gain by keeping His perspective. Avoid grumbling because that is exactly what the devil wants us to do.

Have you ever watched the show Wipeout? It's where adults have limited time to make it through an obstacle course. Some get knocked down while others may fall off and have to start over. You witness their strong determination to keep going in hopes of winning a prize.

Friends, our life is an obstacle course. Are you going to dig deep within your soul to find a renewed sense of determination? OR are you going to believe the devil's lies that say you're not a winner or you're not strong enough to get back up or that you're too weak to keep fighting?

Start believing what God says about you because you are fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:13-18 Remember, this is not the time to give up because when we persevere, we too will win the prize of eternal life with Christ if we stay the course.

I pray God will renew your self-confidence as you begin to remember who you were created to be so that you no longer allow the devil to trick you into believing his lies any longer.

God's Word in Psalm 138:3 says:

"When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted."

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime