Courageous

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 10, 2026

She loved the peacefulness of the country as she sat under the tree.  As she sat in the shade of the tree, she could look for hours at the beauty that God had placed all around her. She could stare for hours at the miraculous gift He had given her and all of His people.  Often He had brought her to that tree, and each time He would lead others to her.  They came with the problems that each day brought to them, and she helped them settle the disputes with the advice that God lead her to speak.  She took comfort in the fact that her office was not find in the midst of Jerusalem, her office would be about ten miles to the north, in the quiet of the mountains of Ephraim.  Her office would be a date palm tree, where God’s wisdom could be heard under the branches of her tree.

Each day she was there, the people would come.  She would see their faces, and she would hear their problems.  With each word of advice, she could see their fears, and she could feel their pain. As she watched their faces each day, her prayers became stronger.  And with each prayer, she found that her words to the Lord were just a little longer.  For twenty years she had watched as the people had suffered, under the cruel hands of their Canaanite oppressors. She watched as they terrorized His people, as they raided their homes, and killed their sons and daughters.  Each day she prayed that the Lord had not forgotten them, that He would again reach down His hand and save them..  Each day she prayed, and waited patiently for the day she would hear His answer.  

As she sat under her palm tree that day, He answered to her the prayer she had so long prayed.  He had led her to summon a man who would be called on to lead His people against the king of her oppressors.  Today, her prayer had been answered.  And under the quiet of her tree, she knew that the Lord would not be silenced.

Of all the stories I love in the Bible, Deborah is among my favorites.  Her story is told in two short chapters(Judges 4-5), but in two short chapters comes such a powerful story.  A story of devotion and strength.  A story of obedience and patience. A story of humbleness, and a story of mercy.  A story that defines the very definition of courage.

What is courage?  Ask twenty people on the street and you will probably not be able to tell the difference between courage and bravery by their definitions. They will tell you that courage is standing strong when faced with pain or grief, that courage is strength when we are frightened.  But when we look at how the Lord defines courage, what we see is a whole lot more.

In the Old Testament we see God define courage in many places as “determined, proven,  resolute, to prevail”.  In the New Testament we see the Lord continue in this definition and expand on it.  Here we often see courage called “good cheer”, and the word for both translates “boldness and confidence”.  God does not just describe courage as the opposite of fear, but He describes it as the very thing that causes us to not have fear.  In the word “courage”, the Lord does not just describe the action, but deepens the meaning of the word by showing us the purpose behind it.  Each time the Lord tells us in His Word “fear not”, He is not just telling us to not have fear, but is telling us why we should never have a reason to experience that fear.  God is telling us that in His very nature, in the perfection of His plan, fear can never be found.

In trust you will never find the word fear, and in His trust only courage can be found.  The Lord knows that we are far from perfect, that flaws come into our lives each day.  It is for this reason, that from the first word of Genesis to the last sentence of Revelation, God tells us so many times to “fear not”.  He knows that the more trust we have in Him, the more courage that will be found in each of us.  One of my favorite Bible passages begins, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart”(Proverbs 3:5-6).  The more we trust God, the more that courage is felt in our heart, the more that courage is seen in our actions, and the more that courage is defined in our lives. The more we put our trust in God, the more determined and embolden we are to stand on His Word.  The more confident and resolute we are that His plan is the only plan that will work in our lives.  And the more we lean on that trust, the more we realize that with the Lord on our side, we will always prevail!

No story in the Bible paints for us a better picture of the definition of courage than the one of Deborah.  In two chapters, in a few short words, the Lord uses the life of Deborah to show us just what courage is.  In Deborah, we see the trust, the determination, the resolution, the proven confidence, and the prevailing faith that God uses to define the word courage.

Deborah relied only on God.  The Israelites had come under the hand of the Canaanites for one reason, and one reason only.  They had turned their back on God, and placed their trust in other gods.  It took twenty years for the Israelis to see that God’s discipline was not a punished to them, but a confirmation of His love for them.  It showed the Israelites that their future and their trust could only be found in the Lord God, not in all the other gods that they had tried to replace Him with.  But through this time in Israel’s history, Deborah remained strong, loyal in her faith.  She continued to teach His Word, to follow that Word, and to remind others of that Word.  In the most troublesome of times, Deborah had the courage to remain faithful to His Word, knowing that He alone was her people’s only hope.

Deborah had the faith to know His Voice.  When the Lord spoke to Deborah, revealing to her his plan to restore the nation, she immediately called for Barak, the one who the Lord told her would lead his people against the Canaanites.  She had the determination to stay loyal to that call, not adding one word of her own.  Not looking to carry out her own vengeance or her own desires, but determined to carry out exactly what the Lord had commanded of her. Deborah had the courage to follow God’s plan, and the determination to make sure that planned was fully carried through. 

Deborah trusted the will of God, allowing the Lord to work through her.  As a judge in that day, Deborah had the respect of the Israeli people.  They knew that she had an ear for the Lord, and they trusted the words, advice, and direction that the Lord gave them through her.  Deborah could have easily decided she would lead the army against the Canaanites, and the people would have followed.  But she was resolute to the will of God, knowing that for her to lead was not His will.  Deborah humbly submitted to the Lord’s will, His wisdom, and His plan, knowing that only He could deliver them from the hands of their oppressors.  Deborah had the courage to follow God’s will, and to ensure that His will alone was done.

Deborah gave God all the glory.  In the fifth chapter of Judges, we read the beauty of the song that Deborah sang to the Lord.  As we read the words, we see Deborah and Barak praise the Lord for all He,alone, did to liberate His people.  In not one verse do we see either giving themselves praise or any credit for the victory, they lay every ounce of glory the victory brought right at the feet of God.  Right where they knew that glory belonged.  They knew that nothing they could have done would have helped them to overcome the power of the Canaanite army. They knew it would not have mattered how many men they would have sent, whether it had been ten thousand or one hundred thousand, God alone was victorious.  Deborah had the proven confidence to know that with God all things are possible.  And she had the prevailing faith to trust that His hand would move.  Deborah had the courage to give God all the glory, and the trust to know from where that glory had come.

Deborah was nothing short of an amazing woman.  A woman who had a heart for God. Although the words used to describe her life are brief, the impact she had was nothing short of incredible.  Unlike all the other Judges, the Bible does not record one word of condemnation about Deborah.  God’s Word only tells us about her faith, and her will to serve our Lord. Deborah used all of her abilities to serve God, to do nothing more than to bring honor and glory to His name.  

As I remember the words of the song that she sang(Judges 5), it is not hard to see the courage of her faith.  She knew that as the battle was about to start, it could have been only One on the field for Israel that day.  It was about what God had promised, not about what man could accomplish.  Deborah’s courage was nothing short of contagious, and her courage became nothing short of encouraging.  With each “fear not” we read in His Word, I can see the Lord’s hand pointing back to Deborah.  I can hear the courage in her voice, and I can see it defined with each step that she took.  And as I read the words of her life, I can hear the Lord looking to define courage the same in each of us today.

Courage.  A word that stirs us, and a word that moves us.  A word that can be seen in man, but cannot be defined by man.  Man may attempt to explain it, but to experience it through the Lord’s hand is the only way to fully understand it.  Courage can only be defined when we make the most of the opportunities the Lord gives us.  Courage is found in hearing His voice when He calls us.  Courage is found in going wherever He may lead. Courage is found in the obedience to do what He says to us.  Courage is found in what brings us to the Cross, and it is what leads us each day to strengthen the grip we have on that Cross.  We can only become courageous when we realize that His Will is the only will that will ever matter.  Courage is what brings a man to his knees, and can be defined by how long that man then stays on his knees. Courage can be found in you every time you hear His Voice, then can be seen by what you do immediately after hearing that Voice.  Be strong in Christ!  Be of good cheer!  Be courageous!

Praying each of you live your lives courageously!

A Third Of A Mile

 Dr. Mike Murphy

 April 1, 2026

“Seven hundred and sixty-two steps.  I can still remember taking each of those steps as if it was yesterday.  The confusion and the fear that filled me, the anger and hatred that surround me.  And with each of those seven hundred and sixty-two steps, I feared each might be my last.

We had traveled so far to get to the city that day.  Days at sea, then two more days we walked to get there.  Travelling that distance so my sons might also experience Passover that year, and see my beloved city for the first time. But as we neared the city, I could all but sense the change. The bitterness and the anger greeted us before we could even get to the gates. Something had changed my city.  Something that I would later learn, would change my beloved city forever.

As we approached the gates the crowds were overwhelming.  Lining the streets in anticipation of something that was soon to occur.  I grabbed hold of each of my sons, so not to let them be separated from me by the mobs that seemed to be pouring out from every corner.  Crowds that just kept screaming words of hatred, unmercifully mocking a man whose name I did not even know. And as the crowds gathered even more, I soon realized that we were going to have to stand in the midst of that crowd until the event that had caused the mob to gather had passed.  We could simply never make our way to the Temple by trying to fight through all these people.

Suddenly, at a distance, I could see a man stumbling as he walked the street.  A man, that as he drew closer, was so beaten, so battered, that even his own family must not have been able to recognize him.  A man, who was so weak, he could barely carry himself, much less the cross they made him carry. As he approached the place my sons and I were standing, I watched as he suddenly collapsed.  Falling hard onto the stones that lined the streets. So hard, I immediately doubted he could still be alive. But slowly, I watched as his fingers began to move, and with shallow breaths, I could see the little life left in him.  As the soldiers forced him again to his feet, I thought to myself, this man cannot even carry himself, much less the weight that must come from that cross.

Before I even realized what had happened, a soldier reached to grab me, separating me from my sons, ordering me to pick up this man’s cross.  I tried to plead with them to choose another, as I had my sons there with me. But it was as if my words were silent, as the soldier continued to drag me into that street.

As I was handed that cross, all I could think of was the blood that covered it.  Blood that would stain me, leaving me unclean to attend Passover, unable to fulfill the purpose I had come for, the reason I had brought my sons to my once beloved city.  As I reached for that cross, and the soldier placed it on my shoulder, I could feel the blood completely covering me. So much blood that it was all I could do to even get a grip.  I remember thinking to myself, how could any man even have this much blood? How could this much blood pour out from a man and him still be alive, much less carry this cross?

So many steps we had taken before I looked over to see this man who was carrying this cross with me.  So many steps we had taken where I had felt nothing but anger at this man, for putting me in this position.  So many steps of having the crowd spit on me, as they spit at him. Throwing anything they could find at me, as they lashed out at this man.  With each step, I not only feared for my life, but feared my two sons might see my life taken before their very eyes. But as I glanced in this man’s eyes, the strangest of feelings came over me,  It was not hatred, denial, disappointment, or even agony I saw as I looked into those eyes. All my eyes would allow me to see was a love that pierced all the way to my soul. And as we arrived at the top of that hill, where they were preparing to crucify him, I suddenly found my eyes could not look away.  As my sons ran to me, I stood in front of them with eyes full of tears. Tears, that no matter how hard I tried, I could not make stop. I watched as they raised him on that cross I had helped him carry. I watched as he struggled in pain to take each breath. I listened as he called to the Lord, not to curse all who had placed him on that cross, but asking for their forgiveness.  I watched as he offered that same forgiveness to a guilty man who hung on the cross beside him, telling that man how hope would be his eternal. And I watched as the sky turned to darkness as his final breath left his body.

I watched that day as I saw it all, knowing in the depths of my heart, I had just seen all.  And in that moment, I could so vividly hear the words of the Lord speaking to me. Words from Him, that reminded me of the promise Isaiah had brought to my people.  Words I had not read for years, but words I would never again forget. Words that said, ‘Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.’

In that moment, as I watched them take down His limp and lifeless body, I realized that I did not have to go to the Temple that day, nor ever would again. The Lord had not brought me to Jerusalem to see the lamb sacrificed, but so I might experience and witness the sacrifice of the Lamb. In that moment, I realized the blood that now covered me had not left my clothes stained, but had washed me as white as snow.  Because the Lord showed me on that day, it was not me who was carrying His cross. It was He, for each step of that third of a mile, who had been carrying mine.”

With each step, I pray you remember who is carrying your cross today.

I Am Pilate!

Dr. Mike Murphy

March 31, 2026

“There was something in his eyes that was different.  Something separated him from all the others that had appeared before me.  So many had been brought in front of me to judge in this rebellious country, they became nothing more than faces without a face. Names spoken without a sound.  But something in his face brought his name to my lips, something in the sound of his voice caused me to speak it.”

“He was unlike any man I had ever met.  Most came in front of me filled with fear, speaking whatever words they thought I wished to hear so their life might be spared.  But in his voice, I could hear no fear.  In his eyes I could see only a certainty, as if he knew my words before I spoke them.  It was as if death had no hold over him, and my words and my judgement brought no fright or panic to him.”

“Twice that day, I tried to place his future into the hands of others, hoping both times they would do what I could not bring myself to do.  But twice that day, his future, his life, fell back into my hands.  Although I found no fault in him, my own ambitions required me to be the judge over him.  So as I sent him to his death, I washed my hands of him.  But as the hours and the days passed, I found that although I had washed my hands, I could not wash away my thoughts.”

“Since that day, I have passed judgement on more men that I could begin to count.  I have sent more men to their death than I could ever begin to number. But among all the men, among all those faces, one still haunts me.  One face, one voice, never escapes me. One set of eyes that were unlike any other.”

Many names from history stand out before us, implanted in our minds and unable to escape our thoughts.  Men and women of valor, like George Washington, Winston Churchill, and Joan of Arc.  Brilliant minds like Isaac Newton, Copernicus, Madam Curie, and Albert Einstein.  Villains of evil, like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ivan the Terrible, and Attila the Hun.  Men and women of God, like Moses, Abraham, David, and Deborah.  But as we approach the Easter season, a name from history always comes to our minds. One not known for his heroism or for his intellect.  One we remember for the decision he made on a day that changed history.  The name of that man, Pontius Pilate. 

Although Pilate is a name that we all know, little is truly known about the man.  From AD 26-36, Pontius Pilate served as governor of Judea for Emperor Tiberius of Rome. Besides his name appearing in the Gospels, it is also recorded by such historians as Tacitus, Philo, and Josephus.  In 1961, a famous engraving know as the Pilate Stone was found. Writings on the stone dated its’ origins to AD 30, and on the stone Pilate was described as “Prefect”(overseer) of Judea. 

In the Gospels, Pilate is mentioned solely in connection with the the trial and last events of Christ.  The Gospels portray Pilate as a man who was reluctant to send Christ to the Cross.  He stated that the charges brought against Christ were baseless, and more than once proclaimed Christ as an innocent man.  The Book of Matthew(Matthew 27:19), indicates that Pilate received a message from his wife, warning him to not be involved in the trial of this righteous man.  But despite all he saw, all the warnings given him, it was a trial that Pilate went forward with.  A trial, he is still to this day remembered for.

In the Gospel of John, we are given a very detailed account of the trial of Christ, and are told much of the conversation between Jesus and Pilate.  John tells us that Jesus acknowledged that He was a king, and that He, alone, represented the truth.  To this, Pilate replied, “What is truth?”  This question, these three words, would set the stage for all that was about to happen.  As Prefect of Judea, Pilate was set as a judge over the people.  As a judge, he was called on to seek the truth.  But here we see a judge, who by his own question, did not know or recognize the truth.  A human judge, perplexed and bewildered by the truth, would sit in judgement over the Righteous Judge of all mankind.

Before he was done, Pilate would seek a compromise to avoid the truth he did not understand.  Knowing that Jesus had been handed over to him, not out of guilt, but out of the envy of the religious leaders, Pilate decide to form a plan to get him out of the middle of this problem.  It had become a custom for a prisoner of the people’s choosing to be released at the time of Passover each year.  Pilate then picked the worst person he could possibly find, a murderer and man convicted of insurrection.  A man by the name of Barabbas. There is an interesting find in the meaning of Barabbas’ name, as the name means “son of the father”. On that day, Pilate gave the people a choice of who they wanted released. Barabbas, “son of the father”.  Or Jesus, the true Son of the Father.  

Pilate found himself amazed by the name the people yelled out.  Because the religious leaders had persuaded the crowd, Pilate heard the overwhelming cry that day for him to release Barabbas.  Unable to believe the name he heard, Pilate asked the crowd, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”. Their reply, amazed him even more, “Crucify him!”.  Knowing he could not sentence a man who had not been convicted of a crime, Pilate replied to the cries of the crowd, “Why, what evil has he done?”  Again, he heard the words, “Crucify him!”. More afraid of the crowd rioting and damaging his public reputation and standing, than he was of sending an innocent man to his death, Pilate commanded for Jesus to be flogged, and delivered to be crucified.

As tragic as the events of that day were, no tragedy was greater than what happened that day to Pilate.  He ignored his responsibilities as judge.  He disregarded the warning his wife gave him.  He chose his own selfish pride over the life of an innocent man. And he failed to acknowledge and accept the truth, when the Truth was standing right in front of him. 

So what became of Pilate?  What happened to his life after that unforgettable day? The writings of Philo and Josephus both give us information about Pilate.  Both describe Pilate as an insensitive and often brutal man, who had little regard for the Jewish people or to their religious beliefs.  Both tell us he insulted the people by placing pagan gods on their currency. Josephus wrote that as Pilate brought troops in from Caesarea to Jerusalem, he had the troops bring in idolatrous statues of Roman emperors to be placed in the courtyard of the Temple. Josephus tells us that this was done by the cover of night, so that the Jewish people would not be aware of what was happening until the statues were already in place. Philo tells us of how Pilate reappropriated Temple funds to build aqueducts.  As the Jews protested this action, Pilate had Roman soldiers disguise themselves among the people.  At his command a signal was given, and the Roman soldiers openly attacked the people in the streets.

Historians tell us, that in the year that Emperor Tiberius died, Pilate was removed from office because of charges brought against him.  It was stated that Pilate was openly executing people without ever giving them a trial.  Eusebius tells us that Pilate was exiled to Gaul, and it was here that Pilate took his own life.

As we remember Pilate today, most look at the man and see the one who sent Jesus to be crucified.  But when I look at Pilate, the image that stares back at me is a familiar one. As I look at the man who had Christ flogged, and who sent Christ to the Cross, it is not Pilate’s image I see.  It is my own.  As I look closely, I realize, I am Pilate. It was me who sent Him to be scourged, and it was me who placed the thorns on His head.

For years of my life, I sat in the judgement seat of Pilate.  Day after day, Christ was brought in front of me.  I looked directly into His eyes, and I asked the same question that Pilate once asked.  As the Truth stood right in front of me, I turned to my selfish pride and my own foolish stubbornness.  I looked into the face of an innocent and righteous man, but I only heard the cries of the crowd.

As I look even closer, I realize that I was far more cruel, and far more lost than Pilate ever was.  As Christ spoke to Pilate, He told him that those who had handed Him over were guilty of the “greater sin”.  Meaning that those who had handed Him over to Pilate, knew all the signs and prophecies that identified Him as the Messiah, that unmistakably pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.  They were aware of who He was, not ignorant of why He had come to this earth.  They knew He was God, but denied the Truth that was evident in front of them.  This was me.  I knew who Christ was, I knew He was God.  I knew the Truth that stood in front of me, but I denied that Truth because of the changes it would require of me.  I simply found it easier to hear the voices of the crowd, than to accept Christ as my Savior. More willing to follow the crowd, than to allow God’s Word to rule my life.  So not just once, like Pilate, but each day I sent Christ away, and washed my hands of what I knew and saw.

But praise the Lord, Christ is patient.  And praise the Lord, the Holy Spirit is persistent.  Praise the Lord that Christ returned to that judgement seat I sat on each day, and that each day He continued to speak the Truth to me.  And praise the Lord, that the day came when I heard the voice of an Innocent Man speaking the Truth, louder than the shouts of the crowd.

Today, Christ stands in front of you, speaking the Truth to you.  You sit in the exact seat that Pilate once sat in.  The exact seat that I sat in for so many days. Will you look into His eyes, and see the Truth that stands so obviously in front of you?  Or will you hear the voices of those who selfishly deny Him, and the crowds who call for you to send Him away? Will you fall on your knees before Him, or will you wash your hands of Him? That choice is yours, and yours to make alone. But as this day ends, I pray you will not repeat the words that haunted so many of my past days. Three words I pray you will never be heard to say, “I am Pilate”.

May you be led by the Truth, not by the crowd.