The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections
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Courage and Strength
in
Scripture
Carried Through Fear
Introduction
When fear or uncertainty rises, God’s Word offers us courage and strength. These verses remind us that His presence is not distant but near, guiding and upholding us.
Joshua 1:9
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
• Meaning: God’s presence is the reason we can move forward boldly. Courage isn’t about our own strength, but about trusting His nearness.
Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
• Meaning: God doesn’t just walk beside us—He actively strengthens and sustains us when we feel weak.
Psalm 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
• Meaning: God is both our safe place and our source of strength, always available in times of need.
Closing Reflection on the Verses
Joshua calls us to courage, Isaiah promises God’s sustaining hand, and Psalms reminds us He is our refuge. Together, they form a thread of reassurance: we are never alone, never without help, and never without strength when we lean on Him.
A Moment That Changed Everything
Before any of it began — before the cab, before the airport, before the fear turned into motion — there was a moment in the kitchen that changed everything. I was standing there listening to him plan a new life for me, one that did not include my child. He required complete attention when he spoke, and I stood there silent while he laid out a future that separated us. In that moment, something came over me that I cannot explain except to call it what Scripture calls it — the peace that passes all understanding. It was not calm in the usual sense, but a strange, flatlined stillness. God was telling me to be quiet, to listen, and He gave me the courage and the plan right there in that kitchen. I was scared to death, but He steadied me so I could think clearly enough to escape.
Provision in the Midst of Fear
In the days leading up to the escape, God provided what I could not find on my own. At a school event, while he was explaining to the headmaster why I was “not a good mother,” friends quietly slipped a folded $50 bill into my hand. They didn’t say a word. They just saw me.
My daughter attended early‑intervention classes several days a week, and I often stayed during the sessions. Many days I was there the whole time, helping and watching. The staff knew me well — they saw me with the children, saw how I cared for them, and knew my heart long before the danger began.
That $50 paid for the taxi the next morning. I had nothing to my name, not a dime, but God made sure I had exactly what I needed at the exact moment I needed it.
We had put $300 in the bank earlier that week, and I had access to it. When the taxi driver stopped at the next corner, I ran into the ATM and withdrew that $300. That money paid the down payment for the lawyer’s retainer — the legal help I needed to understand what was true and what was fear. Every step was provision. Every moment was timing. Every need was met in ways I could never have arranged myself.
I was too scared to think any of this through alone. God carried me through those days with a calm I did not create — a steady demeanor that let me make furtive phone calls, gather information, and plan an escape while danger stood right in front of me. The peace that passed all understanding didn’t make me feel brave; it made me able to move.
Silent Protection at the School
There was more help than I realized at the time. I had already spoken to the headmaster at the school and told her what was happening, and she quietly told a few trusted people. They never said a word to him. They never exposed me. They simply watched over me in silence. I had spent time at that school helping with the other handicapped children, and they knew me. They knew what kind of person I was, and they protected me without making a scene.
I needed legal information about crossing state lines with my child, and I asked the headmaster to speak to the lawyer for me. Later that evening, I told him I needed toothpaste so I could walk to the store. He gave me a lecture before he let me go, but I went anyway. At the store, I used a pay phone — back when they were still everywhere — and called the headmaster to get the answer. That same lawyer, the one who gave me the information, quietly handed me the $50 with her husband at the school gathering. They knew I had nothing. They knew I needed help. And they gave it without drawing attention.
So many things happened that I could never have arranged myself. God used people who saw me, who believed me, who understood the danger, and who kept silent so I could escape.
They Knew My Heart
There was one boy at the school with cerebral palsy, and I loved him. I held him, cared for him, and spent time with him whenever I could. The staff saw that. They saw how I treated him, how gentle I was with him, how natural it was for me to comfort him. They knew who I was in my heart. So when everything started happening, they didn’t question my story. They didn’t doubt me. They protected me because they already knew my character long before the danger began.
A Living Testimony of Courage and Strength
There was a time when escape was necessary, but every step felt impossible. A plan was in place: a ticket waiting at the airport, a cab to be scheduled to arrive early in the morning. Yet one crucial detail was missing — the name of the street where the cab needed to pick us up. Without it, the plan would collapse.
In desperation, a prayer was whispered: “Lord, please let me see the name of that street.” Normally, that street was never part of the route home. But that day, in answer to prayer, the car turned down that very street on our way home. The street sign appeared, and with it came the information needed to call the cab company and secure the ride.
The next morning, the escape began. The cab was slow, and time was slipping away. Fear pressed in, but courage rose: “Please, hurry.” Every minute felt like danger was closing in. At the airport, another obstacle appeared — the ticket required identification, and the license could not be found. Panic surged, but when the story was explained - husband right behind me, I have to go right now, he cannot catch up to me, the ticket is in a different last name so he would not know, the staff thought we watch too much TV and I could not find my license to prove my Identity...but they chose to believe my story and they handed over the ticket, and we ran all the way thru that huge airport to the boarding plane.
A Narrow Escape
We barely made it to the plane on time. It was truly minutes. After the cab finally arrived at the Boston airport, I handed the driver the $50 and said, “Keep the change,” and ran. I pushed the stroller, wearing every layer of clothing I owned, sweating through the first layer, hair pinned up with what felt like a hundred pins, glasses fogging, and fear pressing hard behind me. I must have looked like someone in the middle of a storm, but I didn’t care. I just ran.
At the ticket counter, I couldn’t find my license. Panic surged, but I told the truth — danger was right behind me, the ticket was in a different last name, and I had to leave immediately. The women at the counter believed me. They handed me the ticket, and I ran again, all the way down that huge airport corridor. We were the very last ones to board. The door closed right after we stepped onto the plane.
I don’t know if those women at the counter called ahead and told the gate to wait, but the plane was still there. Still open. Still possible. That was God’s timing. Not early. Not late. Just in time.
Once we were finally able to get up and go to the bathroom, I stripped off the soaked inner layer and put on the dry outer one. I had already stripped the extra layers off my child in the cab, but I kept mine on until we were safely on the plane. Every detail of that morning was survival, and every moment was mercy.
Every moment felt like defeat waiting to happen. Yet provision came at each turn: the money for the cab came from friends $50 just handed to me in secret one evening, the street sign, the cab, the compassion of strangers, the ticket. And though fear was real — knowing danger was right behind me — God’s timing was perfect. Finally, the plane was boarded, and safety was found. Trust and mercy carried that day.
Danger Was Right Behind Me
What I didn’t know at the time was that he was right behind me. Later I learned he had called my mother from the airport, telling her I had better return immediately. While I was running through that terminal, pushing the stroller, soaked in sweat and wearing every layer of clothing I owned, he was only minutes behind us. That knowledge explains the urgency of every step — the sprint to the counter, the panic when I couldn’t find my license, the mercy of the women who believed my story, and the narrow window of time before the plane door closed.
We boarded just in time. The door shut right after we stepped on. The plane left the airport only minutes later. Whether someone called ahead or whether it was simply God’s timing, I will never know. But I do know this: danger was close, and deliverance was closer.
Final Encouragement
This was not coincidence. It was the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of danger. Courage came not from my own strength, but from His presence. Strength came not from my own resolve, but from His sustaining hand. Refuge came not from circumstance, but from His faithful care.
When fear rises, remember:
• God goes before you (Joshua).
• God upholds you (Isaiah).
• God shelters you (Psalm).
He is the One who turns what looks like defeat into deliverance, and what feels like chaos into courage.
Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy
Great is your faithfulness, I praise you
In Jesus' precious name I pray,
Amen.
May this testimony remind you that courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of God.
Quil
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