Courage for Hearts That Hope in the Lord

There is a sacred courage that rises only in those who dare to hope. As Psalm 31 comes to its close, David does not whisper but calls out across generations: “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24). fter days of wrestling, waiting, crying out, and clinging to God, this final verse stands like a banner lifted over every believer who has ever walked through shadows and chosen to trust anyway.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the decision to lean forward when everything in us wants to pull back. David knows we cannot manufacture this courage by sheer willpower. True courage is not self-made, it is God-given. It is received by those who place their trembling hope in the only One strong enough to steady them. And the strengthening He gives is not a momentary surge that fades with the next storm; it is endurance, resilience, and the quiet boldness that grows in hearts held firmly by Him.

Hope, in Scripture, is never wishful thinking. It is the settled conviction that God is at work in ways we cannot yet see. When we hope in Him, we position ourselves beneath the steady stream of His strength. Our courage expands not because we have become stronger, but because He has drawn nearer.

Jesus speaks this same courage into His disciples when He says, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Our courage is anchored not in our victories but in His. Not in our stability but in His triumph.

And so today, as we come to this place where every journey of faith truly ends, a renewed hope. With hearts lifted. With courage rekindled. With the unshaken assurance that the God who has carried us through every verse of this psalm will continue to strengthen us through every chapter of our lives.

As Alistair Begg said, “Hope is a divine spark that refuses to die because God Himself breathes upon it.”

Blessings,
Isaac Sayal