Leading The Way - Devotional for August 23
August 23, 2026
The Price of Conviction
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
Only the true God of the Bible is sovereign, holy, loving, faithful, all-knowing, all-powerful, always present. He alone is worthy of all our trust, and only when we fully trust in Him will we have true courage.
In fact, courage is the hallmark of faith, the indication and manifestation of faith. Courageous faith is confident that God cannot and will not make a mistake. Courageous faith knows that God cannot be wrong. Courageous faith is confident that God can never be defeated.
What does this mean for us? Well, it means how you view God determines whether you walk by faith or by sight, whether you can live courageously with peace or whether you’ll be gripped by anxiety, blown and tossed by the winds of your circumstances. For, while we look forward to the glory and promises of God, on this earth we will yet face trouble (see John 16:33).
God’s Word is filled with the stories of His saints suffering greatly for their faith. But far from discouraging believers today, these lives lived out in enduring faith emit a sweetness that draws us to the Lord Jesus each day. The author of Hebrews wrote:
There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. . . . These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:35-40)
Making a commitment to follow Christ will cost you, but the rewards are eternal. The Old Testament saints followed God in reckless abandon and considered knowing Him far more valuable than anything the world had to offer.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times when I have put my desires before Your will and purpose for me. Help me to follow wherever You lead, no matter the cost. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:26).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon They Were Just like Us, The Warring Faith: LISTEN NOW
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Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
