Are you in need of courage today? Whether starting a new venture, having a difficult conversation, overcoming some adversity, or choosing the hard right road instead of the more attractive wrong one—sometimes we all wish we were more brave and determined. So what is the secret of courage? Psalm 108 can help us. One of the interesting things about this psalm is that it is a compilation of two others. Both were laments. In Psalm 57 David was hiding in a cave to escape from King Saul. In Psalm 60, David and his armies were at war with the Edomites. Both of these psalms begin with a description of the perils he faced, then end on a note of hopefulness and praise. It is these two endings that are combined to make up Psalm 108. The occasion for this psalm seems to be when Israel was facing a similar challenge from the nation of Edom (v 10). Perhaps it was composed by a later writer who looked to God for a new deliverance and victory as David had done before. Whatever the context, this is the prayer of a warrior. He is awake before the dawn, asking God for help in his battles and trusting that God will soon enable him to triumph. He begins by saying that his “heart is steadfast.” Steadfastness is courage—standing one’s ground and doing what is right regardless of fears and consequences. Even if all is dark around him, this warrior will greet the morning with songs of praise, thanking God as a witness to the nations (v 1-3). But this is not naïve optimism or misguided confidence in self. The writer is looking to the LORD as the source of His courage. “For your steadfast love is great,” He says. God is totally steady and reliable, and all of His ways are kind. His faithfulness reaches as high as the clouds of heaven. So the way to find courage is not to look in the mirror saying, “I can do this,” or to keep repeating to yourself how awesome you are. Set your mind on God and praise the One who actually is awesome. His strength is made perfect in your weakness (v 4). Because his confidence is in God, rather than in himself, it’s not surprising that the psalmist calls for the LORD to be exalted and for His glory to fill the earth. He will face any foe for the sake of His God. He’s not looking at himself. This is the secret of courage. No matter what hard thing needs to be done, it is always good to pray that God would be exalted in the outcome (v 5). And as we pray, it is important to ground our faith in the LORD’s promises. Battles are inevitable as we seek the advancement of His kingdom. Only God can give victory, and He surely will, as we lean on His power (v 6-13). For further meditation: