Assurance makes you courageous and God’s strength helps you face the enemy head-on. Do you still want courage? Do you still want God’s strength? Maybe you need to drink the cup after all.

I read somewhere that when we ask God to give us courage and strength we need to think twice what we are asking for. Why? Because the only way for God to give us courage is when we face danger. You don’t need courage when there’s no risk involved. Ever heard someone say I’ve been very courageous, enjoying life to the fullest? You might enjoy life later but first you must work and risk for it. Courage is for crisis. In the same vein the only way for God to give us strength is when we have none left in our stock. When we are deep in the valley of the shadow of death. When the enemy is almost undoing us. That’s when we need God’s strength. In the good times? Nah! Strength is for the stressful times. Next time you pray for courage please be ready for crisis. You want God’s strength in your life? Be ready to be pushed to the limits. The athlete who wants to win the Olympics knows they need to hit the road bright and early. The business man who wants success knows they need to be ready to lose it all. The missionary who wants to see incredible fruit must, as William Carey said, attempt great things for God.

No one knew this better than our saviour himself. He knew the cross that lay ahead of him. He knew the shame that would befall him. That he’d be abandoned by the same circle of friends who swore to always be there for him. But more than that he’d be abandoned by God himself to earn us access to God. He could have prayed for God to remove the cup and that would have solved the problem at least for his benefit. But he was determined to finish his mission on earth. So what did he do? Ask God to bring it on? Run away in fear? No. He didn’t approach the cup with stoicism, indifference or fear. He knew it’d hurt deeply. He wished he could avoid it all together but was committed to finish his mission and glorify God. So what does he do? He turns to God in prayer. And what does he get? John tells us in John 12:28 that he gets the assurance that God was glorified in him.

Read More