Courage. When we think of courage, a lot of mental pictures begin to take shape. Courage like a lion, strong like an ox, Richard the Lion Hearted, Alexander the Great, Samson of the Bible. We think of the stuff it takes to be in the military, police force, firefighters and especially good parents! Quit limiting courage to men! There's Joan of Arc, Rahab, Margaret Thatcher, Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai, and the list goes on.

Whatever shape, form or sex, whenever we see a heroic figure emerge on the stage of history, who battles against overwhelming odds, commands our attention by doing the kinds of brave things we'd like to do, we call them courageous.

Think back to your old school days when you were forced to step up to the plate and swing away. The fear of being thought of as "chicken" was more painful than a punch to the nose. There was the pressure of the peer group. You were in or you were out.

No matter how we try to rationalize our understanding of courage, we always put it alongside of a person who charges the hill, stands up to the bully and conquers the overwhelming unknown. This man or woman, boy or girl, is inspired by the slogans, "Winners never quit and quitters never win. Semper fidelis." We are embarrassed for those who say, "He who turns and runs away, lives to fight another day."

What the writer of Hebrews really meant to say is, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Well, I can accept that intellectually, but when life gets down to brass tacks, agreeing with that statement and being able to live like that statement are two vastly different options.

Total honesty declares that we are afraid of the unknown and people can do awful things to us. Fear is a terrible thing. Fear means to me, "A dread of what may happen. What will happen if I refuse to tell a lie (you can make up the reason). What if I don't fight? What will happen if I speak the truth? Will I be destroyed, deserted by my friends or colleagues, ruined for life?"

I'd best be quiet, refuse to state my opinion, allow myself to be counted as one of the majority, even though their stance is directly opposed to my beliefs. No one will ever know. No one will ever question my courage. "Him? He always does the right thing for us. Yep, we can depend on that guy. He knows what we expect and he'd best stay in line."

Psychologist Fritz Perls, the founder of a style of therapy called Gestalt, made his clients fantasy (pronounced like fanta-sigh). When clients would talk about their inner most fears, he would say, "What's the worst possible thing that could happen? Can you deal with that?" Their answer, "You know. I believe I could!"

Folks, here is our answer. "The Lord is my Helper. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

When it comes to everyday issues, what does my Lord say? When it comes to political responsibility, what does my Lord say? When it comes to personal honesty and integrity, what does my Lord say?

What kind of courage does it take to stand up against a tyrant who runs things by intimidation, manipulation, fear and disregard for what is right? "The Lord is my Helper. I will risk the truth every time!"

There will always be every day, tough, bite the bullet times. But never, never do we meet these times alone. Never do we make our decisions in isolation. Never do we stand naked and defenseless.

The Lord is my Helper. What can anyone do to me?

Thanks, God!