Cultivate Courage: Day Three

Cultivate Courage: Day Three

sowing seeds of courage

By Marie Osborne

READ: Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 23:4, 27:14, 56:3-4, 62:1-2, 118:6; Isaiah 41:10; John 16:33

I reached my hand out from under the covers and picked my phone up off the nightstand. 2:15 am. I’d been trying to quiet my mind for nearly an hour with little success. I sighed and sat up, thinking maybe a drink of water would calm me down, when my husband turned over, bleary-eyed, and asked, “Are you ok?” 

What is it about a simple question from someone you love that can open the floodgates? Unexpected tears gushed out. My heart clenched tight in my chest. I could barely breathe through the sobs. 

“I completely lost it yesterday with the kids. I’m failing. I’m failing! I have no idea what I’m doing. Why do I get so angry? Why do I yell so much? And what if I’m making all the wrong choices for them, for our family? What if I ruin our kids?” Guilt and shame took hold of me that night, their ugly roots feeding on the lies swirling through my mind.

I know His Word penetrates my weary, worried heart and heals my fearful, frenzied soul, but 2:15 am is not the time for in-depth Bible study. Whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of a fight, there are emergency situations when we need Bible verses at the ready. These are the moments I desperately need easy access to God’s Truth. These are the moments when Scripture memory shows its worth. 

As my husband held me and whispered words of comfort, my mind reached for seeds I’d sewn long ago, sweet passages of Scripture to bring me peace and strength, stored away in my memory banks for such a time as this. Through heaving sobs, I waded through the thick tangles of untruth and found rest in repeating His Promises. Like a supernatural herbicide, His Word can kill the ragged weeds of fear, worry, anxiety, stress, guilt, and shame. Even my husband’s attempts at encouragement fell flat in the face of my fears. God’s Word alone brought me rest and peace that night. His Truth is my only weapon in the battle against fear and anxiety, my only lasting source of courage.

We mamas know, this life is uncertain and unfair. This world is dangerous and depraved. It’s no wonder fear takes hold of us when we care so much for our kiddos and yet have so little control over what the future holds for them. When I focus on what could go wrong, what evil might occur, I feed the fears and lies that threaten to strangle and enslave me. But if I meditate on His Word, if I water the seeds of courage I find in Scripture, I become “strong and courageous” in Christ, not because of who I am and what I can do, but because of Who is with me and what He will do.

He will never leave or abandon me. (Deuteronomy 3:16)

He is my rock and my salvation. (Psalm 62:1-2)

He will strengthen me and help me. (Isaiah 41:10)

He has conquered the world. (John 6:33)

Don’t wait for fear and worry to grab hold of you at 2:15 am, sister. Sow seeds of courage today by planting verses in your heart and mind to turn to when you are facing of your greatest motherhood fears, so that you might stand firm in the strength that can only be found in Him.

Do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you; I will help you;

I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand 

Isaiah 41:10 CSB


  1. What worries have their hold on you, mama? 

  2. What fears are keeping you captive? How might knowing about God’s character help you with those worries? 

  3. How might remembering His promises give you courage when you are afraid?

“Lord, this job is so far outside my ability. I am often overwhelmed by the weight of this great responsibility, of being a mom. Help me to lay down my fears, worries, guilt, and shame. Help me to live in Your strengthen, emboldened by Your courage. Sow seeds of courage in my heart and mind, so that the next time lies threaten to tear me down, I might stand firm as I repeat Your Truth.”


Cultivate Courage: Day Four

Cultivate Courage: Day Four

Cultivate Courage: Day Two

Cultivate Courage: Day Two