Cowardly Lion: Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman: Courage!
Some days I feel just like the Cowardly Lion from Wizard of Oz. Afraid to stand up for what I believe. Afraid to speak the truth. Afraid of how people will judge me because of my beliefs. Afraid to live in love and carefree because someone is waiting to tear me down. Friends...I know that I am not alone. Maybe you are going through this same feeling. Wanting to dig deeper in the word. Wanting and yearning for that love story with Christ. Truth: It takes courage. Living for the Lord you WILL stand out, you WILL be talked about, you WILL be judged but Psalms 31:24 tells us "So be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the lord".
Every day I pray for God to give me courage to speak to someone that I do not normally talk to.
Give me courage to live for HIM freely without the cares of what others think. Give me courage to face another day with this mountain that is before me. My own cowardly behavior. In my daily devotionals I came across these verses in Joshua. They really meant something to me and I wanted to share.
Joshua 1:6-9 6 Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land. I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them turning either to the right or the left. then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will surely obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command, be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
6: You are the one...Clearly the bible is talking about Joshua here, but lets put this in perspective. YOU are the ONE, YOU are that beacon of light to your friends and family. YOU have a strong connection with them and their salvation. Courage! Be courageous and claim salvation for your loved ones. In the name of Jesus!
7: Obey...The 10 commandments were given to us for a reason. Let us be courageous and do not turn from this instruction. Exercise courage to say NO to something that is not of heavenly behavior.
8: Study the BOOK...live it, breath it, get it in our hearts. God tells us that if we follow instruction and live as he has designed for us...he will bless us with more riches and glory then we can handle. Our cup with OVER FLOW with Blessings. I tell you what...it takes a lot of courage for me to read my bible in public. I am guilty of fretting over what people will think of me. We live in the last days and it is a scary world. This is something I am continually praying for God to help me with.
9: BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS: Do not be discouraged with what the world is doing...do not let others hinder your walk with God. My constant prayer...Lord make me courageous. The pounding of my hearts cry I will serve the Lord.
In closing I will leave you with a phenomenal song. Sometimes a song can speak to us more then any sermon or teaching. There is something about the way Christ works through lyrics. The only way we will ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands, Lord make us courageous.
