Courage! - What makes a king out of a slave?
- 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?
- What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
- What makes the dawn come up like thunder?
- What makes the Hottentot so hot?
- What puts the "ape" in apricot?
- What have they got that I ain't got?
I do believe in spooks. I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do, I *do* believe in spooks,
~ two quotes from the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz
Dorothy: Your majesty, if you were king, you wouldn't be afraid of anything?
Cowardly Lion: Not nobody! Not nohow!
Tin Woodsman: Not even a rhinoceros?
Cowardly Lion: Imposerous!
Dorothy: How about a hippopotamus?
Cowardly Lion: Why, I'd thrash him from top to bottomus!
Dorothy: Supposing you met an elephant?
Cowardly Lion: I'd wrap him up in cellophane!
Scarecrow: What if it were a brontosaurus?
Cowardly Lion: I'd show him who was king of the forest!
Amazing ... the thoughts of being a king (or in other words, knowing who you are) sure makes a change in the mentality doesn't it?
The Lion had not idea who he was, if he did he would have already known that he was the King of the Jungle! However, since he didn't know who he was, he was just a scaredy cat. But courage was locked up inside of him just waiting to be released.
Gideon was a man much like the old cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. He was just a scaredy cat too. He was hiding from the Midinates, just trying to thresh out a living without anyone taking wrong advantage of him. But then one day the angel of the Lord showed up and said, "The Lord is with thee, thou might man of valor."
Yet Gideon had a hard time believing that the Lord was with him, since there was soooooo many bad things going on around him. He wanted to know where are all the miracles that he had heard about were?
That sounds like many people today. If God is with us, then why ......?
- Why all the wars?
- Why the starving children?
- Why the broken homes?
- Why all the evil?
- Why do bad things keep happening?
And the answer is within the grasp of Gideon 6:14 when the Lord spoke back to Gideons questions and said, "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
Everyone is waiting for the Lord to do some great spectacular feat when the truth is God in and through You will do great exploits. When you begin to know "who you are in Christ" and "who Christ is in you" ... that is when cowardice will be put out doors, and great things will begin to be done here on planet earth.
- When you are willing to take food to the hungry.
- When you are willing to get wells dug for fresh water.
- When you clothe the naked.
- When you go to the prisoners.
- When you watch out for the widows and care for the fatherless.
- When you first and foremost carry such acts of kindnesses, with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has enabled you to do these things ... this is when the miracles will show up, and things will change ... When you awake to the truth of Christ in You ... Christ with You!
I understand that you and you alone can not totally change the World, but you can have an impact! If enough people would be willing to hear God saying ... "Go in thy might, Have I not sent you?" And then would respond to those words change would come.
If the drug addicted, out of control parents would turn to God and exchange their cowardice lifestyle for a life in Christ ... the children's world would be impacted!
If the scared loose daughter who is living a life of danger and harlotry would shed cowardice and turn to God ... the parents who are crying out for her life nightly would be changed.
If the lazy man who refuses to work would turn to God and rise up from his slumber, his life would be changed.
If the worried woman who can't leave the house for fear, would look to God and give him all of her cares, allow him to clothe her with power, her life would be changed.
If the millionaire who has money to burn, but has no peace of mind, would shed his cowardice, open his ear to God concerning stewardship and give to the poor, both his and their lives would change.
If government officials would shed cowardice and humble themselves before the Lord, our country would change.
People claim strength ... they often look the part.
The cowardly lion looked the part. He was big, had a mane and claws.
He claimed strength with a "Ruff" ... only to hid behind a bush or tree when the rubber met the road. To claim strength and look the part without confidence and empowerment is still cowardly.
Yet, if people would spend enough time in the presence of God to get to know him, and through him get to know themselves, they would go from scaredy cats to mighty men and women of valor! Men and women who are carrying miracles down someones dry and dusty road.
If people would turn to God and allow him to clothe them with power confidence would arise within them, and lives would be changed. When lives are changed, families are changed, communities are changed, states and countries are changed .... the world turns upside down ... And for a messed up World ... it would make it right side up!
God sent his son,
that we might obtain the kind of life he desires for us
that we might turn from our wicked ways and our land be healed!
I Peter 2:9-10
... ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Why not turn today ... and go turn the World!
