Have Courage

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!  I always enjoyed watching the cowardly old lion in the Wizard of Oz, looking for courage. Then when Lion finally makes the trip to Emerald City, he discovers that when you pull the curtain on fear, you often find a balding old man with special effects. Fear can be like that, creating a façade that keeps us trapped in our current situation.

I won’t take that new job, cuz “what if….?”

I won’t work on that relationship cuz “what if…?”

I can’t do something different cuz “what if…?”

Fear is a great spin doctor. But what if we pulled the curtain aside? What if we decided that taking a risk might bring positive opportunities into our lives? In Joshua 1:9 we read, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Fear and discouragement periodically threaten everyone, even Christians, but God does not want us to be overcome by them. He has a plan to help us be strong and filled with courage. How? To remind us who He is-the God of the Universe, the Great I AM, the one with all the power, promising to go with us, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. Or as the

Cowardly Lion would say,

“Read what my medal says: ‘Courage’. Ain’t it the truth? Ain’t it the truth?”

The question is, is it your truth too?

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

-PT/lt