Scripture Devotion
Be brave because you're not, in fact, alone.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Reflection
The command to be strong and courageous is not left hanging on its own willpower — it's braced immediately by a reason, and the reason is a presence: he it is that doth go with thee. The courage isn't summoned from an empty tank; it's drawn from the fact of company. You're being asked to be brave because you are not, in fact, alone. And the promise doubles down at the end, two negatives for emphasis: he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Not a single reassurance but a paired one — will not fail, will not forsake — closing every exit through which the fear says he might. Midweek, when courage runs thin, the verse doesn't say try harder to be brave. It says look at who goes with you, and take courage from that.