When you think of a lion, of what do you think? Do you imagine a ferocious lion in the jungles of Africa? No matter the setting, a lion conjures up certain characteristics. They are known for stalking their prey and sneaking up upon them. They pursue their prey and overtake them by violent force to subdue them.
In discussing the trait of a lion, you need to go back in time until you saw The Wizard of Oz. In that great movie what did the lion in that movie want more than anything? You guessed it. He wanted courage. You often need courage in your backbone to complete a difficult task. John Wayne was a cowboy movie star of the last century, who says this in regards to courage, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” There is a lot of practical wisdom in those words.
David in the Old Testament knew a lot about what it takes to have courage. He displayed courage as a young teenager by killing Goliath with a sling and stone, he was a victorious soldier against the Philistines, and toward the end of his life he was pursued by his son, Absalom, in order to kill him. In Psalm 27:14 he discusses the key to having courage, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” David stresses the action you are to take in being courageous by repeating it twice— “wait for the Lord.” So often when you need courage, you think that you have to have some kind of action right now. It does not matter too much what you do, as long as you do something. This verse eradicates that philosophy. In the midst of the trial, where courage is needed, you are to sit back and wait on God. Let God handle it. You saddle up and wait on God to give you your marching orders. You, then, roar and press ahead!
