Scripture Devotion
Courage rooted not in the odds, but in the company — wherever you go.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Reflection
Courage here isn't a feeling to work up — it's a command backed by a reason. Have not I commanded thee? It's ordered, not suggested, which means it's possible, because God doesn't command the impossible without supplying what it takes. And what it takes is given in the last clause: the LORD is with thee whithersoever thou goest. That final word is the scope of it — whithersoever. Not just in the familiar places, not only on the easy ground, but wherever you go, including the places you'd rather not. The courage is rooted not in your assessment of the odds but in the fact of the company. Midweek, when fear or dismay makes its case, the verse answers with a presence that has no exceptions: wherever you're going, he's already going there too.