How do I find courage to face those who criticize, intimidate, or threaten me?

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1 Samuel 17:32-37“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”

Psalm 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Luke 12:4“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.”

1 John 4:4You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

You find courage to face difficult people by trusting God’s promises to you. He tells you not to be afraid. Remember, like David with Goliath, that God is bigger and more powerful than any threat you may face. Recall your past experiences of God’s faithfulness.

Judges 6:14-16Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

Remember that when you face difficult people, courage comes neither from your qualifications nor credentials, but from the promise of God’s presence and power. He will give you the right words to say and the right actions to take.