Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, March 22, 2026. This week is No. 5,036 of the broadcast.
We’ve all heard a well-intentioned adult tell a child to “be brave.” And often, we benefit from encouragement and support when trying new things or when facing something that stirs uncertainty or even fear.
But being brave is more than simply summoning courage in a single moment. Instead, it’s often developed quietly, long before the time of need, when no one is watching. We become brave by the choices we make today — before tomorrow’s test ever comes.
I recently read again the account of David slaying Goliath. In the past, my attention had always centered on the outcome of that remarkable story — David prevailing with only a sling and a stone.
But this time, my thoughts were drawn to what came before the victory. In a moment of urgency, David told King Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight” (see 1 Samuel 17:32-50).
Saul replied, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
And then, in that moment, David shared the reason for his confidence. He told of earlier encounters with a lion and a bear while tending his father’s sheep. Protecting the flock, he went after the predators, and when they rose up against him, he caught them and struck them down.
In a remote place, with few — if any — watching, David faithfully defended his father’s sheep, and the Lord delivered him from the attacking animals. Those unseen experiences strengthened him. They gave him assurance that the same God who delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear surely would deliver him from the Philistine who had “defied” the living God.
And He did.
David did not simply wake up that morning “being brave.” Instead, he had become brave by being faithful in challenging earlier moments.
And the same can be true for us. As we work to become brave, we can be armed with faith that runs deep. Faith sustains bravery. And sometimes, the bravest people are the ones who unconditionally accept the will of God.
So when courage is required, may we look back and acknowledge the moments when we saw the hand of God in our lives. Then, acting in faith, we can bravely go forward, entrusting the outcome to Him.
Tuning in …
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
