Life hits hard. You’re sitting there, maybe staring at a pile of bills or a medical report that doesn’t make sense, and someone pats your shoulder and says you should just "be of good courage." It feels cheap, doesn't it? Like they’re handing you a paper umbrella in a hurricane. But the be of good courage bible verse—specifically found in Psalm 27:14 and Joshua 1:9—isn’t actually about "positive thinking" or pretending things aren't a mess. It’s a lot grittier than that.
Actually, it’s a command.
When you look at the Hebrew word chazaq, which is what’s usually translated as "courage" or "be strong," it isn't about a feeling. It’s about seizing something. It’s about binding yourself to something so tightly that you can't be shaken off. It’s a survival tactic.
The Context Everyone Misses in Joshua 1:9
Most people treat Joshua 1:9 like a Hallmark card. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Sounds nice. But let’s look at who Joshua was. He wasn't a guy sitting in a comfortable office. He was a military leader taking over for Moses—the greatest leader the Israelites had ever known. Joshua was staring down fortified cities and literal giants. He was likely terrified.
The command to be of good courage bible verse wasn't a suggestion to feel better.
It was a functional requirement for the job. If Joshua folded, the whole nation folded. The text repeats this phrase three times in the first chapter of Joshua alone. Why? Because repetition in ancient Hebrew literature is like bolding, underlining, and shouting in all caps. God wasn't just checking in; He was anchoring Joshua’s identity to a promise because the physical reality looked like a total disaster.
Why Psalm 27:14 Changes the Game
Then you have David. David’s vibe in Psalm 27 is totally different from Joshua’s military campaign. David is writing from a place of deep, personal anxiety. He talks about enemies breathing out violence. He talks about his heart fainting. And then he lands on this: "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"
Notice the order.
First, you wait. Then you’re told to be of good courage. Then—and only then—does the heart get strengthened. We usually want the strength first. We want to feel the "good courage" before we step out of bed or make that difficult phone call. David suggests the courage is the act of waiting, not the reward for it. It’s the stubborn refusal to give up while the situation is still unresolved.
Honestly, it’s kind of exhausting.
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Waiting is the hardest thing humans do. We’re wired for resolution. Our brains crave closure. When the be of good courage bible verse tells us to wait, it’s basically telling us to sit in the tension of the "not yet" without losing our minds. It’s a psychological discipline as much as a spiritual one.
The Linguistic Backbone of "Good Courage"
Let’s nerd out for a second on the linguistics because it matters. In the King James Version and many others, the phrase "be of good courage" uses the Hebrew word amats. This isn't just "being brave." It implies an alertness. It’s the same word used to describe hardening or strengthening an object.
Think of it like tempering steel.
Steel becomes strong because it goes through fire and then gets hammered. It doesn't just wake up strong. So, when the Bible says "be of good courage," it’s implying that the courage is being forged through the very trouble you’re trying to escape. You don't get the courage by avoiding the fire; you get it by standing in it and refusing to melt.
There’s a famous scholar, Dr. Robert Alter, who has spent decades translating the Hebrew Bible. He often points out how these ancient verbs are intensely physical. They aren't abstract concepts. Courage is something you do with your hands and your feet. It’s a posture. It’s standing with your feet shoulder-width apart so you don’t get knocked over.
Misconceptions That Make Us Feel Like Failures
We’ve sort of ruined this verse with modern self-help. We think if we feel fear, we’ve failed the "courage" test. That’s total nonsense. Courage isn't the absence of fear. If you aren't afraid, you don't need courage; you just need a hobby.
Courage is specifically for when you are shaking.
- Misconception 1: It means you’ll always win. (Spoiler: Sometimes people of great courage still lose the immediate battle, but they win the internal one.)
- Misconception 2: It’s a solo act. (If you look at the Hebrew, these commands are often given in the context of community. You aren't being brave in a vacuum.)
- Misconception 3: It’s about "manifesting" success. (The Bible doesn't care about your vision board. It cares about your faithfulness to a specific path.)
I remember talking to a chaplain who worked in a level-one trauma center. He told me that the people who showed the most "good courage" weren't the ones who were stoic. They were the ones who were crying while they made the next right decision. That’s the be of good courage bible verse in real life. It’s messy. It’s tear-streaked. It’s loud.
How to Actually Apply This Without Being Cliched
So, how do you actually "do" this verse when your life feels like it’s falling apart? It’s not about reciting the words over and over until you feel a warm glow. It’s about tactical steps.
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First, you have to acknowledge the "dismay." In Joshua 1:9, God says "do not be dismayed." The word for dismayed in Hebrew is chathath, which literally means to be cracked or shattered. God isn't saying "don't feel bad." He’s saying "don't let the situation shatter your core identity." You can be hurt without being destroyed.
Second, find your "anchor." For the writers of these verses, the anchor was a specific promise or a historical memory of when things went right before. If you don't have a memory to lean on, you lean on the character of the one making the promise.
Third, move.
Courage in the Bible is almost always linked to movement. Joshua had to cross the Jordan. David had to face Goliath. The courage didn't fall out of the sky while they were sitting on the couch. It met them while they were walking toward the thing that scared them.
The Connection Between Courage and "Heart"
In the New Testament, we see this theme continue, but it shifts slightly. The Greek word often used is tharseō. You see it when Jesus is walking on the water toward the disciples who are terrified in a storm. He says, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew 14:27). "Good cheer" and "good courage" are often used interchangeably in these translations.
It sounds almost dismissive, right? Like, "Hey, don't worry about the massive waves, just cheer up!"
But tharseō is about "bolstering the heart." It’s an internal fortification. Jesus isn't telling them to be happy. He’s telling them to take heart because He is present in the storm with them. The be of good courage bible verse is ultimately a "presence" promise, not a "circumstance" promise. The situation might still be objectively terrifying, but the presence of something (or someone) greater changes the math.
Real World Resilience: Evidence and Practice
Modern psychology actually backs a lot of this up. Researchers like Dr. Angela Duckworth, who wrote Grit, or Dr. Brené Brown, who studies vulnerability, often touch on themes that mirror these ancient verses. They talk about "courage" as the ability to show up when you can’t control the outcome.
That’s exactly what Psalm 31:24 is getting at: "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."
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The hope is the catalyst. If you have zero hope that things can change or that you are supported, courage is impossible. You just have despair. But if you have even a tiny sliver of hope—what the Bible calls a "mustard seed"—that's enough of a hook to hang your courage on.
Practical Steps for the "Good Courage" Mindset
If you’re trying to live this out today, forget the flowery language. Get practical. Here is how you actually bridge the gap between a verse on a page and a Tuesday morning that feels impossible.
1. Define the Giant.
What specifically is making you "dismayed"? Is it a lack of money? A relationship ending? Write it down. Courage needs a target. You can't be brave against "everything." You have to be brave against "this specific thing."
2. Audit Your Inputs.
If you’re trying to be of good courage but you’re spending six hours a day scrolling through doom-and-gloom news or comparing your life to people on Instagram, you’re sabotaging your own heart. You can't build courage on a foundation of envy and fear.
3. The "Next Ten Minutes" Rule.
When Joshua was told to be of good courage, he wasn't told how he’d conquer every single city for the next twenty years. He was told what to do now. Focus only on the next right thing. Can you be brave for the next ten minutes? Usually, the answer is yes.
4. Physicalize Your Stance.
This sounds weird, but it works. When you feel that "shattering" (dismay) coming on, change your physical posture. Stand up. Take a breath. Remind yourself that your body is a vessel for this courage. The Bible doesn't separate the soul from the body. If your heart is going to be strengthened, your body has to be present for it.
5. Find Your "With."
The core of the be of good courage bible verse is the phrase "for the Lord your God is with you." Courage is a byproduct of companionship. Whether that’s your faith, a solid friend, or a mentor, don't try to be "of good courage" in isolation. It’s a heavy lift. Find someone to help you carry the weight of the wait.
The beauty of these verses isn't that they give us an easy out. They don't. They give us a way through. They acknowledge that life is often a series of daunting tasks and long waiting periods. But they also promise that our hearts aren't static. They can be strengthened. They can be tempered. They can be made into something that doesn't just survive the storm, but eventually learns how to navigate it.
Stop waiting to feel brave. Just start acting like someone who knows they aren't alone, and usually, the courage will catch up to you somewhere along the way.