Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! They were everywhere...well, not exactly everywhere. They were all nicely tucked away in their enclosures.
The North Carolina Zoological Park is a great place to visit, if you have never been. Our trip last week as a family was the first of many, I am sure, for our seven year old. He has a deep love and respect for animals, and that trip just fueled his fire even more. It was so cool to watch him as he caught glance after glance of the creatures he'd only seen in books, up until this point. His little eyes would light up and "Whoa" was a common phrase out of his mouth. On his top ten list of animals to see on our trip was the lion, and when we got to the King of the Beast's enclosure, let's just say it was a little less than climactic.
I guess I expected to see the great animal sauntering around, showing off his mane and exhibiting his authority over all those in his presence. But what we saw was a big, lazy kitty cat, who didn't even lift his head off the warm ground to say "hi" to those who whooped and called at him, trying to get his attention. If there hadn't been a protective barrier in between us, I might have tried to sneak up and lie down beside the great beast, cuddling up to his warm body. It sure looked as though that would NOT have been a problem.
However, I know from my vast experience with lions (in books and on TV), that it would have been a disaster. This was no ordinary beast. This was a lion...the King of the Jungle...and he could lay around however and whenever he desired. And if you know what's good for you, you won't disturb his kingly sleep. If you do, he will not be happy, to say the least!
So, it's no wonder that I have "lion on the brain" today.
That's why while searching the Scriptures for God to tell me something to jot down, I thought it was very interesting that He led me to the Topical Index in my Bible to look up the word "lion." And yes, I found something VERY interesting; something I haven't noticed before.
In I Peter 5:8, Scripture tells us to "be vigilant (watchful); because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." But as I looked a little further, I noticed that in Revelation 5:5, Jesus was also described by the term Lion: "...do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
Now, I found that interesting...that both Jesus and the Devil would be compared to the King of the Beasts. It was actually quite unsettling for me, and I just couldn't let it go.
That's when I saw it.
Look back at I Pet. 5:8. Read it again.
It doesn't say that the devil IS a lion. It simply says that he prowls about LIKE a lion.
Contrast that statement with Rev. 5:5, and you will see that Jesus, on the other hand, IS the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Okay, so what's the big deal?!? Glad you asked, because I am thrilled to tell you! Satan, as he has from the very beginning of time, merely PRETENDS to be THE lion. He tries to push us into the proverbial corner and flaunt his power at us, shaking his mane and roaring to the top of his lungs to scare us into submission. His tactics are powerful and scary, but he IS NO LION.
Jesus, on the other hand, IS! He is the REAL King. He is the REAL Lion. He is the One Who really has the power. And when we are with Him, we need not fear the cheap imitation who prowls around, shaking his pitiful little mane and flaunting his big teeth. We need only to climb inside the enclosure and rest beside the One Who with just a glance, can cause the imposter to cower and flee from the presence of the real King and the little one He calls His own
I praise You, Jesus. You are the Almighty, Powerful, Lion of Judah. I praise You for Your power and Your Presence in my life. You are King, and I am Yours. I Praise You!
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