Expect God’s Empowerment

Even though there was an enormous reward for her capture, Harriet Tubman, after escaping slavery herself, returned to the slave-holding states over nineteen times. She led hundreds of people out of slavery into the north, where they could live with freedom. When she was asked about the source of her fearless strength, she would say: “It wasn’t me, it was the Lord. I always told him, ‘I trust you. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me.’ And he always did.”

Tubman’s story is inspiring. Her courage and heroism were exceptional. And her story points to a deeper truth. Countless Christians over the centuries have found strength and courage that they didn’t know they had… when they placed their lives in God’s hands. Not because they were naturally brave. Not because they were certain of the outcome. But because they trusted the One who was leading them.

That kind of trust is not naïve. It does not deny danger. Harriet Tubman knew the risks. She felt fear. What set her apart was not the absence of fear, but the presence of faith — a lived conviction that God was active, guiding, and faithful.

Throughout Scripture, we see this same pattern. Abraham goes without knowing the destination. Moses stands before Pharaoh trembling. Mary says yes without knowing the cost. The disciples step into a world that will resist them. Again and again, courage is born not from self-confidence, but from God-confidence.

You and I may not be called to lead people along the Underground Railroad. But we are called to faithfulness in our own time and place. To speak when silence would be easier. To act justly when compromise would be safer. To love when resentment would feel more natural.

And when we do, we often discover something surprising: strength rises to meet obedience. Not all at once. Not in dramatic fashion. But enough for the next step. And as we lean into that grace, we find that the One who calls us is also the One who sustains us.

Let us pray: Loving and gracious God, time and time again, people of faith have had to lean on you and have found you faithful. May you meet us this day. Lead us. Guide us, and grant us the strength and courage to face each hour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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