by Nan Keltie

Created on: July 29, 2009

Having courage doesn't mean you aren't afraid. Having courage means doing the right thing even when you're afraid or worried about what might happen.

For instance, it takes courage to learn to swim if you are afraid of deep water. It takes courage to tell the truth if it means you might be punished for doing something wrong. It takes courage to stand up in front of a group and give a speech. These are examples of having courage in everyday life. There are also examples of courage in the Bible.

Biblical examples of courage ~

The following Bible characters each faced difficult situations, but God gave them strength and courage to do what was right:

Joseph - Hated by his 10 older brothers, Joseph was cast into a pit and later sold into slavery. He was taken from his family and home and forced to live in Egypt. This meant learning a different language, eating food he was unaccustomed to and having to learn a whole new culture.

Joseph served his master faithfully, but he landed in prison because someone told a terrible lie about him. In all of these trials, Joseph continued to do the right thing, even when he was homesick, discouraged and afraid.

David - As a shepherd, David had to spend many weeks alone in the hills with only his father's sheep for company. His job was to guard and protect the sheep from lions, bears and any other predators. To keep the sheep calm (and perhaps his own heart, too), David sang with a harp and composed many psalms.

Later, David faced the giant Goliath when no one else dared to stand up to him. No doubt his heart was pounding with fear as he ran to meet the wicked giant - but God gave David the victory to defeat Goliath. As a result, Israel chased the Philistine army away. Having courage means doing the right thing even when you are afraid.

Deborah and Jael - These two women were used of God to deliver Israel from an enemy captain who had 900 chariots of iron and thousands of troops. Deborah managed to get Sisera and his armies to follow her right into a trap - where the Israelite army was waiting.

When things went badly for his army, Sisera fled on foot and ended up at Jael's tent. He asked her for a drink of water, but she gave him warm milk to make him sleepy. Once he was asleep, Jael took a tent peg and drove it through Sisera's skull. In the middle of danger, both these women showed courage and were used by God to deliver His people.

Daniel - Taken captive and moved to another land, Daniel was

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