Emily and the Lions

“Mom, do you know what to do if a lion is coming toward you?”  Emily quizzed me.

I honestly did not have a clear answer, since this is a situation I had never thought myself to be at risk for, 

 and I was very curious what Emily’s answer would be.  “No, what do you do?” I replied.

“You might think you should run, but that would be horrible because they will chase you. What you should do is stand perfectly still and just PRAY!”  She answered with complete confidence. 

Often we see the lion approaching us, the even steady pace closing in quickly.  While our lion might actually be a temptation, justification or an addiction to sin, it can be equally frightening.  Often we want to run, to hide, but inevitably the lion of sin will knock us to the ground and tear us apart, leaving very few remains for the buzzards swarming overhead.  We cannot out run our sins and temptations, especially on our own.  Alone, we are weak and vulnerable and the evil one feeds on that and sends the lions to us in our weakness.   

I have faced many lions, most recently one related to my health.  I wanted to cure what ailed me, to find a concrete answer.  I screamed out that it wasn’t fair, I just want someone to fix my body so it functioned normally again.  I was vomiting almost every time I ate followed by hours of pain and nausea that left me no option but to stay on the couch.  I stubbornly ignored my bible and would let other thoughts take over before I could pray.  I was terrified that I would never be well again, that I could never fix what was wrong.  There is a common word in most of the previous sentences, “I”.  I am never going to tackle or out run a lion, especially alone.  Finally I fell to my knees and told God that I am His and His to fix.  I crumbled and I told him I will wait as long as He felt it would need to take, but I KNEW He would get rid of the lion that frightened me and I PRAYED.  

What is the best defense against our lions and ourselves?  PRAY.  Emily had the answer quite clear and concise.  Don’t run for you cannot outrun the lion.  Just stop and stand perfectly still and PRAY.  However, if you are faced with a REAL living lion while on safari, please do not rely entirely on the advice of my four year old daughter for survival.  

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)