When my daughters were young, one of our favorite places to go was the zoo, that is until they became teenagers, and then the zoo was replaced by the shopping mall. I preferred the zoo….it was MUCH cheaper, but back to my original illustration. As we visited the zoos in several different cities, one of our favorite exhibits was the lion. It was always a thrill to stop and watch the lions, especially if they were being active, and it was a special treat if one or more of them let out a big roar. The girls might jump a little if that did happen, but that jump was out of surprise, not fear. They knew that there was a protective barrier between this “king” of the jungle and them. They also knew that I would do everything to keep them out of harm’s way, and keep them safe. After our experience at the lion exhibit, we would go on to enjoy the rest of the animals in the zoo and the mandatory stop at the ice cream stand. (The stop at the ice cream stand was my rule, not theirs.) Why am I talking about the zoo, you ask? I think it does a good job of illustrating my point today. The girls were always excited when I told them our destination, but that excitement could have changed to fear if the lion had got loose from his cage. Our focus and goal would have changed from seeing the whole zoo, to escaping the grip of that lion. But, what if that lion had not totally escaped, but was being restrained by a safety chain, would our main goal of seeing the entire zoo still be obtainable, of course it would! Would we be a little more alert to our surroundings, I think a reasonable answer to that question would be yes. “Be sober, be vigilant; because[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may[d] the God of all grace, who called us[e] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Peter 5:8-10 It is my observation that the roaring of that “lion” seems to get louder right after we have been given a vision of our path, calling or destiny. The enemy wants to steal the very gift the Father has promised us, the one that will bring glory to Him and His kingdom. I don’t know what vision or calling He has given you, but I do know it is for His glory, and the enemy wants to see that glory destroyed and you along with it. Just like the illustration above, there is nothing I would not have done to protect my daughters from that lion, even to the point of dying for them. Our Father has already given us that protection through the death of His son, Jesus Christ. Take a look at your life, and see how or where the roar of that lion is coming from. What is the very thing in your life that he is trying to steal from you, either by fear, or the distractions created by his roars? Rejoice that you are not walking that vision on your own, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:4-6
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 18:10:35 +0000
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