By: Ricky Andrews, Deacon
The Wizard of OZ
From a small child, one of my most favorite movies was and still is The Wizard of OZ. I loved watching how the movie started in black & white and progressed into color. I loved all the little people (Munchkins) and their colorful costumes and their songs such as Lollypop Guild, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, and As Mayor of the land of OZ, but my most favorite characters are Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Dorothy and ToTo to.
All the songs in the movie are great and don’t even tell me you don’t sing along with them all, but my favorites are Scarecrow’s If I Only Had a Brain, Tin Man’s If I Only Had a Heart, Cowardly Lion’s If I Only Had the Nerve and of course Dorothy’s Somewhere over the Rainbow.
Scarecrow wanted a brain. “I could think of things I never thunk before.” We all were given a brain to make our own decisions, sometimes good decisions, sometimes not so good decisions.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”
Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your mind.”
God gave us a brain, but do we always use it to the fullest?
Tin Man wanted a Heart. “I’d be tender, I’d be gentle and awful sentimental regarding Love and Art. If I only had a Heart.” Each and everyone of us have a heart but do we always show that we have love for one another and the Lord in our hearts.
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your Heart.”
Proverbs 17:20 “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
The Cowardly Lion wanted to be brave. “If I Only Had the Nerve.” The Cowardly Lion wanted everyone to think he was brave until he scared himself with his own tail. Do we have the courage to do God’s will and answer to his calling? Do we have the courage to say YES when volunteers are needed in our church?
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God goes with you and will never leave or forsake you.”
Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged.”
Dorothy only wanted to go home. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She wanted to go back to Kansas but didn’t know how to get there. All along all she had to do was click her heels together three times and repeat “There’s No Place like Home.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.”
John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except though Me.”
Dorothy had to have the faith to believe that clicking her heels together 3 times would get her home.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 “We live by faith not by sight.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The Scarecrow did get his brain, a degree in philosophy. The Tin Man got his heart, a ticking clock in a heart shape. The Cowardly Lion got his courage, a Metal of Courage and Dorothy was able to go home when she had the faith.
If we have a brain and use it, a heart and keep it full of love, and the courage to listen to God and do His will, and the faith to believe, then we will all be able to go to our Heavenly home in Christ.
The one group that I left out were the “Flying Monkeys” and the “Wicked Witch of the West.” I always worried about the “Flying Monkeys” swooping down and stealing my dog, and the “Wicked Witch of the West” reminded me of one of my schoolteachers. I now have faith that God will protect me forever, even from “Flying Monkeys”.