8 Bible Verses About Courage for Your Insecure Moments
The thick Carolina air presses on my lungs like I’m caught in a stranglehold. Running along this wooded path, I wonder if I have what it takes to do what God has called me to do. I try to conjure up some Bible verses about courage, but I come up empty.
Lavender thistle blossoms bow and rise in unison, and yet there is no breeze. They must be praising their Maker.
I join them, and the heaviness in my chest seems to lift. Perhaps it wasn’t the Carolina heat strangling me after all.
I’ve been wrestling hard this weekend.
I’ve wrestled with the realization that I am different than the 800 women at this conference. It’s a conference for women who are called to write, speak, and lead, and I’m still not convinced I’m one of them.
When I said yes to this endeavor, I wrestled with the invitation to take a step of faith like this: leaving my husband to tend to two little ones who happen to be fighting the stomach bug at this very moment; stepping away from my calling as a mother, wife, mentor, and more; driving eight hours through the Blue Ridge Mountains like I’m chasing down a dream. Something about it all makes me feel small and vulnerable.
Bible Verses About Courage
It also feels like a risk I’m not sure I want to take. Am I risking appearing a fool if this dream never takes flight? Am I risking the well-being of my family?
I’m risking things I’d rather grip with tightly clenched fists. Letting go feels like slow death dripping from my fingertips.
My morning jog down the Carolina Thread Trail slows to a walk. Queen Ann’s Lace blankets the trail’s edge like a gentle reminder of home. Pennsylvania. Where the air is lighter and these questions don’t press with such suffocating power.
I think of the words a speaker shared last night, and I discipline my racing mind to stop. To rest at the feet of my Lord and wait for what he might want to speak to me.
As I slow down, faces come to my mind, one by one. I see the faces of the women whose paths divinely crossed mine in the beautiful conference center with the Bible verses hanging on banners from the ceilings.
I see their faces, and I want to encourage them to keep pressing forward, keep following the calling, and keep trusting in his timing.
8 Bible Verses About Courage and Strength
Inspired, I return to my hotel room and soak in the following Bible verses about courage for our insecure moments. After soaking in these truths, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you find courage for life’s battles.
1. Joshua 1:9, ESV
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
2. Psalm 31:24
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
3. Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
4. Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
5. Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
6. Mark 6:49-50
But when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
7. 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
8. Matthew 17:20
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Reflections on these Bible verses about courage:
As I soak in these words, I am empowered and strengthened. God’s Word renews my mind.
I also begin to see the weekend in a different light.
I wish I could walk back into that conference room and speak these words to the women who wondered if they should be taking the risk. Perhaps you need courage today, too. If so, I invite you to soak in the verses above. Then, come back and let the following truths fill you with courage:
You might not feel l like you have what it takes, but you belong here.
As we all walked into that conference room, most of us looked for where we might fit into the crowd. We wondered if we belonged.
Dear friend, no matter what room you’re walking into, you do belong. You belong among the throngs of women who are passionate about fulfilling a life calling that is greater than themselves.
You belong in the calling of your everyday life, and you belong in this place that looks like stepping out in faith to follow a dream.
God is pleased when his children step out in faith and trust him to lead. We are his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God. Keep sharing the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
You might not feel like you have what it takes, but your words matter.
It’s easy to fix our eyes on those who seem to have arrived. It’s easy to stop telling our stories when we’re told they aren’t marketable or we’re told someone else is already saying the same thing and saying it better.
These words cut to the heart, especially when the words we want to share are born from our deepest places of pain, heartbreak, vulnerability, and passion.
Don’t let the critics get you down, friend. Keep telling your story. Keep speaking it.
If your words touch one person, you have glorified Christ. Don’t go silent now, sweet friend. Your story matters, and God wants to use it to touch hearts.
You might not feel like you have what it takes, but you are crazily loved.
I stood with close to a thousand women this weekend, women who want to glorify God with their lives.
We worshiped before the throne, just our voices, singing about his greatness. I was reminded of one simple truth, a truth that’s enough to transform the whole sum of my weekend, my month, my summer, and my life: If you only knew just how much he loves you . . .
Your life is a fragrant offering, and you are beautiful to the King of kings. He sees your imperfections. He sees your failures and your sins, past and present. His blood is enough to cover it all. Clothed in his righteousness, you are spotless.
Your life is a fragrant offering, and you are beautiful to the King of kings. #GodsLove #loved #chosen Share on XGod loves you more than you can fathom. Every time you take a step of faith, your Father dances over you with sheer delight.
Keep pressing on, friend. There is more to come in this journey, and it all points to the King. He wants to use you in amazing ways.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
A Free Devotional to Help You Find Courage in the Lord
I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
