Courage
The next character we are introduced to in The Wizard of Oz is the lion. The Cowardly Lion. He comes prancing out, trying to scare everybody, but then at the slightest little bit of resistance, he falls to pieces! And he confesses to this little group that he has no courage. He's a lion with no courage! And so he joins them and goes off to the Wizard to find some courage.
Finding Courage in the Right Places
Of course, some people find courage in the wrong places. Dutch courage is the so-called courage you get from drinking alcohol, and that's certainly not wise. Other people get courage in other ways, but for us, my friends, we are called to find courage through faith.
Just the other day, in 2 Samuel 10, I read the story of David's men being embarrassed by the Ammonites and their leader. He had seized all of David's men and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments at the back to send them away exposed. They were so embarrassed, and so David gathered up some men to fight the Ammonites, and also the Arameans, who had joined forces with the Ammonites.
So in 2 Samuel 10:11, Joab, the commander of David's army, says to the other commander (Abishai his brother), "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to rescue you." Then he says, "Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight."
Courage Through Fellowship
This reminded me of that Cowardly Lion! He at first was just ashamed and ran in terror at the sight of any sort of conflict. But then he found some friends, and when he found these friends, he found new courage.
And like Joab and Abishai in 2 Samuel 10, Christians come alongside each other, and they say, “if something's too strong for you, I'll come help you. If something's too strong for me, come and help me. But let's be strong and let's fight bravely. And we trust that the Lord will do what is good in His sight.”
Facing Challenges Together
Do you need courage, my friends? God is great. He's strong, He's powerful. And if your faith is in Him, He's on your side. But find yourself a Joab or an Abishai, so that as you go and fight your battles, you don't do it alone.
The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz really found courage as he walked with others. That little group that he found gave him all the courage he needed. And we too, with our faith in our God, and our arms linked with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can face whatever comes our way, bravely fighting with all the strength that God gives, trusting Him to do what is right.
