Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Our faith should create in us a courage, a strength that is unwavering in the face of so many of life’s trials. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” I would like to look at three stories from the Bible that exemplify a courageous faith.

#1 Jehoiada (ye ho yaw da) and Jehosheba (ye ho shaw ba)- the princess and the priest who saved a king (2 Kings 11:4-17) (also 2 Chron 22-24)

Jehosheba as a member of the royal family, saw the evil plot unfolding and acted to save Joash (yo rash). Jehoiada was a high priest during that dark time in Judah’s history, when Queen Athaliah, obviously an ruthless woman from the line of Ahab, had seized the throne and murdered the royal family to secure her power.

Both Jehoiada and Jehosheba, acting with bold faith and wisdom, hid Joash, the rightful heir to the throne, in the temple for six years, protecting him from Athaliah’s murderous purge.

In the seventh year, Jehoiada revealed Joash to the captains of the guard and hatched a strategic coup. He divided up the divisions and combined both group going iff duty for the sabbath and the group coming on duty for the sabbath to guard the future king and surround the house of the Lord. And things couldn’t have worked out better. The queen tried to stop the anointing from happening but it eventually costs her life.

The plan played out beautifully. But going to the captains of the guard could have gone very differently. This plan could have backfired at the cost of everyone’s lives who were involved in the plot. But God honored the faith and courage of Jehosheba and Jehoiada.

Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada…

2 Chronicles 24:2

Corrie ten Boom is quoted as saying, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Jehosheba’s and Jehoiada’s courage was not loud or flashy, it was steadfast, wise, and grounded in God’s promises. They show us what it’s like to trust God especially when everything looks dim and uncertain. Their lives remind us that spiritual courage often means standing firm when no one else will, protecting the vulnerable, and restoring truth in times of darkness.

#2 Shiprah (shi frah) and Puah – midwives who defied the Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-21)

They defied the Most Powerful Man on Earth. Pharaoh’s command was clear, but Shiphrah and Puah feared God more than Pharaoh. They refused to murder the Hebrew boys, risking their lives.

In addition to that, they stood up without weapons or position. These were ordinary women with no political power or military force. Their only strength was moral conviction and reverence for God. 

Charles Spurgeon said, “The Christian should be bold as a lion. That confidence is born not of self, but of God.” These women had confidence, not in who they were but in who God is. That can empower the lowliest of people and that is what the power of Christ is meant to do in each of our lives.

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

Exodus 1:21

Their reverence and courage were noticed and honored by God, who blessed them personally and used their defiance to help preserve Israel’s future leading to the birth of Moses, their deliverer.

#3 Baruch – the man who gave us Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:4-32)

He Wrote God’s Words at Great Risk. In Jeremiah 36, Baruch wrote down the prophetic warnings from Jeremiah messages of judgment against Judah and read them publicly at the temple, knowing it could cost him his freedom or life.

Baruch goes on to reads the scroll in the presence of large crowds. One of the officials hears it and goes to tell the others. This group of officials invite Baruch to read it to them. Upon hearing the word, the officials tell Baruch and Jeremiah to hide while they take the words to the king. As the king hears the scroll he cuts pieces off and throws them into the fire. Then the king sought the two of them but God hid them.

Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah 36:32

He Did Not Abandon God’s Message, Even When the King Burned It. When King Jehoiakim burned the scroll in fury, God told Jeremiah to write it again. And Baruch did it all over again faithfully and without hesitation.

He Faced Threats and Personal Disillusionment. In Jeremiah 45, Baruch is distressed, saying, “Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain.” He was discouraged, fearful, and overwhelmed. But God didn’t rebuke him harshly. Instead, God promised to preserve his life and reminded him not to seek great things for himself, but to stay faithful in the midst of judgment.

Do not seek great things for yourself. Seek them not. For I will bring disaster… but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.

Jeremiah 45:5

Three things that we can all learn from these individuals are

1- Courage can look like quiet obedience.

2- God honors those who stand firm even when hope seems lost.

3- Faithfulness is more valuable than recognition.

Mary Slesser, a missionary in Africa, faced intense opposition when she tried to protect vulnerable women and children from harmful cultural practices. Mary Slessor (1848-1915) was a Scottish missionary known for her fearless work in Calabar (modern-day Nigeria). Slessor ventured deep into areas considered too dangerous for Europeans. She lived among tribes, endured diseases like malaria, and often intervened in tribal disputes, saving lives. Her faith compelled her to rescue and adopt abandoned twins, raise dozens of orphans, and advocate for the rights of women and children. She often put her own life at risk to protect them. One evening, she heard the screams of a woman tied to stakes, about to be scalded with boiling oil for feeding a starving slave. Without hesitation, Mary ran to the scene and placed herself between the woman and her attacker. Her courage saved the woman’s life and led to lasting change in the community. Her impact continues today in Nigeria, where she’s remembered as a heroine. Schools, hospitals, and churches bear her name. Today, Nigeria is a predominantly Christian nation with over 100 million Christians.

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”

Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV

Peace and courage in Christ brothers and sisters.