Words of Encouragement in Challenging and Fearful Times
Joshua 1:1-9
NRSV
After the death
of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son
of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2"My servant Moses is dead.
Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I
am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3Every place that the
sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to
Moses. 4From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great
river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in
the west shall be your territory.
5No
one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with
Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6Be
strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land
that I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7Only
be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the
law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand
or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8This
book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is
written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall
be successful.
9I
hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
From
"Lord of the Rings", inspired by author J.R. Tolkein's experiences facing
battles in the British army during World War I:
Lord of
the Rings, The Two Towers, movie version of Samwise Gamgee's speech
FRODO: I can’t
do this, Sam.
SAM: I know.
It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are.
It’s like in
the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness
and danger they were.
And sometimes
you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could
the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened.
But in the end,
it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass.
A new day will
come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the
stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small
to understand why.
But I think,
Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of
chances of turning back, only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to
something.
FRODO: What are
we holding on to, Sam?
SAM: That
there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
https://thetolkien.forum/wiki/Sams-Speech
Lord of
the Rings, The Two Towers film: Aragorn's Speech before the battle
defending Helm's Deep
Theoden: So
much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?
Aragorn: Ride
out with me. Ride out and meet them.
Theoden: For
death and glory.
Aragorn: For
Rohan. For your people.
https://www.quotes.net/mquote/56716
Lord of the
Rings, Return of the King Film: Aragorn's Speech before the battle at the Black
Gate
Aragorn: Sons
of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers.
I see in your
eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come
when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds
of fellowship, but it is not this day.
An hour of
wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is
not this day!
This day we
fight!
By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of
the West!
https://shalafitnhs.tripod.com/returnoftheking.htm
Eleanor
Roosevelt
"You gain
strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
~ Eleanor
Roosevelt
Eleanor
Roosevelt (October 11, 1884—November 7,
1962) was an American first lady (1933–45), the wife
of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, and a United
Nations diplomat and humanitarian. She was, in her time, one of the world’s
most widely admired and powerful women.
She lived during World War II.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eleanor-Roosevelt
Jane Austen
“My courage
always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet
Joseph to
his brothers, after they sold him into slavery and then found themselves under
his power in Egypt:
Genesis
50:20-21 ESV
"As for
you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good,
to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
So do not fear;
I will provide for you and your little ones.”
Thus he
comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
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