The Secret to Courage in Troubling Times

Direct Answer: The secret to courage isn't ignoring the bad news — it's knowing what God has spoken to you and choosing to give His words more weight than the world's reports. Caleb held onto God's promise for 45 years and never let it go. That same posture — confidence in God's integrity and faithfulness — is available to you right now.

What are those dreams in your heart?

What are the things you sense God calling you toward?

I've been sitting with this question — and with the story of Caleb.

Why Did an Entire Generation Miss Their Promise?

In the book of Exodus, God promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey. But of the entire generation that left Egypt, only two ever walked into it: Joshua and Caleb.

Twelve spies were sent to scout the land. Ten came back with a bad report. Giants in the land. Too dangerous. Can't be done.

Only Joshua and Caleb came back with a favorable report.

My friend and pastor David Holland writes about this in his devotional Praying Grace for Men: "An entire generation passed up their opportunity to walk in God's goodness and promises because they gave more weight to the troubling news of the day than to what God had promised them."

What Was Caleb's Secret?

Caleb was 40 when God made the promise. It took 45 more years to come to pass.

And Caleb held onto that promise the entire time.

David Holland goes on: "Forty-five years have passed and Caleb is still carrying God's promises in his heart and in his mouth. This is a major key for those of us who want to walk in great courage in our time."

The secret to Caleb's courage was holding tightly to his confidence in God's integrity — and in God's faithfulness to keep His promises.

Whose Report Do You Believe?

There are plenty of places to look for bad news: the evening news, social media, the economy.

But in whose words do you put the most weight? God's, or the world's?

We live in this world, but as believers we're not of this world. That means we have access to a different set of rules — a different report to stand on.

Part of what I feel called to do is help people dream again — to re-ignite the promises God has spoken over their lives. If you've set aside a dream because you couldn't see how it would happen, this is your invitation to pick it up again.

What has God told you about your life? If you want to get clear on that — on your specific calling — the Kingdom Calling Profile can help name it. It's 8 questions, completely free.

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What Is the Call Right Now?

Don't shrink back. Don't let the bad news of the world stop you from doing what God has called you to do.

Be bold. Be courageous.

The promise is still yours. Hold onto it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the story of Joshua and Caleb teach us about faith in difficult times? It shows that courage is not the absence of bad news — it's the choice to give God's report more weight than the world's. Ten spies saw the same land and the same giants and came back defeated. Joshua and Caleb saw the same reality and came back with faith. The difference wasn't what they saw; it was whose word they trusted.

How did Caleb maintain his faith for 45 years? He kept the promise in his heart and in his mouth. He didn't just receive it once — he carried it actively, declaring it repeatedly over decades. Promises you speak out loud are harder to forget and easier to hold onto than promises you just think about privately.

What does it mean to "give more weight to what God has spoken" than to current circumstances? It's a daily, intentional choice. The evening news is louder and more frequent than what God speaks in quiet moments. Countering that requires deliberate immersion in Scripture, prayer, and community that reinforces what God has said rather than what the world is reporting.

What's the difference between ignoring reality and walking in faith? Caleb didn't deny the giants. He said "Yes, they're there — and God is bigger." Faith isn't blindness to the problem; it's perspective on the solution. You can acknowledge the difficulty and still choose to believe the promise.

Why do so many believers abandon their dreams when circumstances get hard? Because delay feels like denial. When the promise doesn't come quickly, the temptation is to conclude that God must not have meant it — and to adjust the dream downward to fit what seems realistic. But Caleb's 45-year wait is proof that God's timeline is not our timeline, and faithfulness is required for the duration.

How do I reconnect with a dream I gave up on years ago? Start by asking: "What did I used to believe God was calling me to?" That initial deposit — the thing you sensed before fear or discouragement quieted it — is often still valid. God's gifts and callings are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). The dream isn't cancelled; it's waiting for your return.

How do I get clear on what God has specifically called me to? The Kingdom Calling Profile is a free 8-question tool that names your passion, burden, audience, and purpose — so you can carry the promise with specific language, not just a vague sense that God has something for you.