Welcome to 365 Days of Courage, Strength, and Faith. I'm Jim Hannes. Thank you for allowing me to spend a few moments with you today. No matter where this episode finds you, whether you're beginning your morning, driving to work, taking a walk, or simply searching for a little encouragement, I believe God has something He wants to remind you of today. My prayer is that these next few minutes will strengthen your faith, renew your courage, and remind you that you never face life alone. Before we begin, take one slow deep breath. Breathe in God's peace and slowly breathe out every worry you've been carrying. Again, breathe in God's presence and exhale out every fear. Let's quiet our hearts together as we turn our attention to God's Word. Scripture for day two hundred and thirty seven is Isaiah one verse nineteen. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Take a slow deep breath, and as you breathe in, receive courage for your next step, and as you breathe out, release the need to feel completely ready. Sometimes we believe confidence must come before obedience. We tell ourselves, when I feel more confident, I'll begin. When I am less afraid, I'll say yes. When I understand everything, I'll move. But often God develops confidence in the opposite direction. We obey first, and confidence grows as we discover God's faithfulness along the way. Think about the first time you learned to do something difficult, driving, speaking in public, starting a new job, learning a new skill. You probably didn't begin with confidence. Confidence developed through experience. The first step felt awkward. Then you took another and another, and eventually what once felt frightening became familiar. Our walk with God often works similarly. Confidence grows through repeated experiences of obedience. Look at Abraham. God told him to leave his country and go toward a land God would show him. Abraham did not receive the entire map, he received enough instructions for the first step. So he went. Imagine if Abraham had said, I'll obey once you explain everything. Much of his journey would never have happened. Peter experienced something similar when Jesus called him out of the boat. The water did not become solid before Peter moved. Peter had to place his foot outside the boat. Faith moved before certainty arrived. That is obedience. We often ask God for confidence, and sometimes his answer is an opportunity to obey. We ask, Lord, make me courageous. Then he gives us a difficult conversation. Lord, strengthen my faith. Then he gives us a season requiring trust. Lord, use my life. Then he places someone in front of us who needs encouragement. Lord, show me my purpose. Then he gives us a small responsibility and watches to see whether we'll faithfully restort it. We may be waiting for something dramatic while God is developing us through something ordinary. Obedience doesn't always look impressive. Sometimes it is making a phone call, apologizing, forgiving, beginning, stopping, giving, waiting, showing up, praying again, taking one more step. Every time you obey God and experience his faithfulness, another stone is added to the foundation of confidence. Eventually you begin saying, I followed him before, he was faithful then, and I can follow him again. That is mature confidence, not confidence in yourself, confidence built from a history with God. You don't need enough courage for the next ten years today. You need enough courage for today's yes. Obey what you already know, trust God with what you don't, and allow confidence to grow one faithful step at a time. Let's take a moment and breathe in. Lord, give me courage. And as we exhale, let's say, I will obey your voice. Breathe in, Lord give me courage. Exhale, I will obey your voice. Inhale, Lord give me courage. Exhale, I will obey your voice. Today's affirmation I can obey God even when I feel uncertain. His presence goes with me. Every faithful step strengthens my confidence. God will give me courage when I need it. I trust him with my next step. Today's declaration. Today I choose obedience over hesitation. I will not wait for fear to disappear before following God. I will listen, I will trust, I will obey. My confidence will grow as I experience God's faithfulness. Today's reflection question What act of obedience have you been postponing because you don't feel confident enough? What is one small step you already know you can take? If this podcast has encouraged you, strengthened your faith, or simply helped you to take one more step forward, would you consider supporting the show financially? Your support helps us continue creating daily encouragement, scripture-based teaching, and resources designed to bring hope to weary hearts. There's absolutely no pressure. Your listening and sharing already means so much. But if you feel led to support the ministry, you can simply click the support button in the description of this episode. Thank you for being a part of this community, and thank you for helping us continue sharing hope one day and one person at a time. And as always, keep walking forward. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for patiently teaching me to trust you. Forgive me for the times I have demanded certainty before obedience. Give me courage to follow when you lead. Make your word clear in my heart. Protect me from impulsiveness, but also protect me from fear disguised as caution. Help me recognize the next faithful step, then give me courage to take it. Build within me a history of obedience so that when greater challenges come, I can look backward and remember you have always been faithful. I trust you with my yes today. In Jesus' name, amen. Today's courage challenge. Ask God one question today. What is the next thing you want me to obey? Don't ask for the next year. Ask about the next step. Write down what comes to mind and test it against Scripture. Then take one faithful action. Tonight record what happened. Over time, these entries will become a record of God's faithfulness. And one day when fear tells you that you cannot move forward, you'll have pages of evidence saying, God has led me before, and I can trust Him again. Thank you for joining me today for another episode of 365 Days of Courage, Strength, and Faith. If today's message has encouraged your heart, consider sharing it with someone who may need this same reminder today. And as you go, remember this. God has not called you to live in fear. He has called you to walk by faith, one step at a time, one promise at a time, one day at a time. Until tomorrow, keep your eyes on Jesus, stand firm in his promises, and walk boldly in his strength, and never forget the God who walks with you today is already waiting in your tomorrow. God bless you, my friend. I'll meet you again tomorrow for another episode of 365 Days of Courage, Strength, and Faith.
