Lessons From Winnie the Pooh - Part 3

“…Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Last week in part two of Lessons from Winnie the Pooh – I shared a quote from a conversation that Christopher Robin has with Pooh as he prepared to go off to school. Christopher Robin tells Pooh about some other things he needs to remember besides that he’ll always be with him. Christopher Robin tells Pooh to remember that: “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.” I don’t know about you – but I need to be reminded of those things once in a while myself.

This week we’ll stick with Joshua and the pep talk God is giving him. In three verses God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous three times – the third time (this week’s passage) also encourages Joshua to not be terrified or discouraged. Why would God feel the need to repeat Himself – in nine more verses he once again exhorts Joshua to “be strong and courageous!” Maybe we should back up a little to give this some perspective. This was Joshua’s second time on the edge of the land God had promised the Israelites when they had fled Egypt. The first time he was part of the scouting team Moses sent to get the lay of the land. Twelve men were sent, two Caleb and Joshua were prepared to take the land but the other ten said no, we can’t - it is too dangerous “They are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:31). The people listened to the fear of those ten men and rebelled against Moses, against Joshua and Caleb and more importantly they rebelled against God’s gracious gift.

So now Joshua finds himself standing – perhaps in the exact same spot, where he had stood forty years before. Only things were different, Moses had died and left him in charge and all the people who had rebelled the first time had died in the wilderness. Joshua was ready the first time he was there and he is still ready – but what must have been going through his mind. What if the people rebelled again? Was he thinking “Am I really brave enough to lead these people, am I strong enough and smart enough to lead these people in battle and in the building of homes and cities – in the building of a nation?” Enter God, giving him the pep talk of all pep talks – telling him to be strong and courageous. Telling Joshua that he is brave enough, strong enough and smart enough to be who God made him to be, to do what he was called to do.

Christopher Robin’s wise words to Pooh would prove so valuable on the adventure Pooh and the rest of the gang would take. All of them would learn that they are brave enough, strong enough and smart enough to accomplish great things – especially when are work together.

I don’t know about you, but I have days when I feel completely inadequate to be who I think I’m supposed to be and to do what I’ve been called to do. It can be so easy to listen to the voices of fear and doubt. This week, I want to remind myself and you that we are “braver than we believe, stronger than we seem, smarter than we think.” Now let’s go change our little corner of the world.

A Prayer
Father – Thank you that a simple children’s story about a “silly old bear” and his friends can remind us that in You we are and have more than enough to be and do all that you have for us. Each day use little things to remind us to be strong and courageous. Remind us that you will supply for us everything we need out of your storehouse of love. Help us to walk in courage and grace, reaching out to those around us who hear nothing but the voices of fear and doubt echoing through their lives, to share the courage and faith you have given to us as a gift. In the name of Jesus, who makes us braver, stronger and smarter, we pray – Amen.