Heart of Courage
But if [God doesn’t rescue us], let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Daniel 3:18
In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s friend the Tin Man desires a heart, and the Cowardly Lion wants courage. So, the Wizard of Oz gives the Tin Man a heart-shaped watch and the Lion a medal proving he has courage. But if the Lion really wanted courage he should have received the Tin Man’s heart—since “courage” comes from the Latin cor, the word for “heart.” Courage is a matter of heart.
In ancient times (and the Bible), “heart” referred to the seat of the emotions, the intellect, or the will. In short, when a person has “heart,” he or she has character, commitment, intelligence, and volition. Combine all those and you will find a person with courage. That’s what we find in the three young Hebrew men in Babylon (Daniel 3:18) and in Joshua as he led the Israelites into Canaan (Joshua 24:14-15).
How do we gain strength of mind, heart, and soul? How do we become a person of courage? By feeding on, and standing on, God’s Word in every circumstance.
I will not flee, much less recant, so may the Lord Jesus strengthen me. Martin Luther
Sermon – Daniel 3:1-18 – Bob Wade
You must be logged in to post a comment.