A ROARING LION

Nearby a herd of zebra was feeding on the grassy plains and, looking on with hungry eye, some distance away, was a large female lion. She had not eaten for some time, and back in her lair were some lively cubs who were also overdue for a feed. Almost out of sight in the long grass she crouched, watching and waiting. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits and her large tongue occasionally slid in and out past her sharp white teeth. Hunger made her impatient, but she knew she must wait for the right moment in order to make a kill.

One of the zebra on the fringe of the herd unwittingly began to edge further and further away from the rest of the herd as he nibbled first at this juicy patch of grass and then at that tasty bunch of shrubs. He was quite unaware of his danger, and the further he moved from the herd, the closer he came to the lion.

I found myself leaning forward in my chair, wanting to shout at the foolish animal to get back to the safety of the herd, but he continued to feed casually, all the time coming closer and closer to certain death.

The lion crouched closer to the ground, virtually invisible in the long grass, her sides heaving as she breathed heavily in expectation. Soon the pangs of hunger gnawing at her insides would be satisfied. It was just a matter of time.

Suddenly the zebra seemed to catch the scent of his enemy. His head came up with a jerk, his ears flattened back, he looked around him and began to turn back towards the herd.

Realising her moment had come, the lioness sprang from her hiding place and rocketed towards the terrified beast. Vainly the zebra gathered speed, his front legs stretched out before him with every bound as he sought to regain the safety of the herd – but he had left it too late! Slashing claws and tearing fangs tore into his neck. In a cloud of dust lion and zebra hit the ground, and in a moment it was all over for the hapless zebra, while the rest of the herd galloped off into the distance.

I relaxed my grip on the arms of the chair and sat back. How quickly it had happened – a few moments of unwatchfulness had cost that zebra his life! Thinking about what I had seen reminded me of the verse above, “Be careful, be watchful; because your enemy the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that Satan (the devil), together with his hordes of demonic spirits, is a very powerful enemy and preys upon the lives of unwary people, messing up their lives. He deceives us in many ways, often by making sinful, evil, activity look attractive, and he tempts us with all kinds of wrong doing.

In doing so he hides the consequences from us and makes us think it won’t really matter. Drugs, booze, immoral and perverted sex is made to look appealing and that we will get a real buzz out of it. And maybe for a time that is so, but there are always consequences, and often we don’t wake up to these before it’s too late. We do damage to ourselves and others also.

Evil deeds ruin lives, cause heartbreak and misery in the long run, and take us further away from God. The further we go, the harder it is to come back. Sin always binds us, it is destructive and if not dealt with ends in eternal death.

On the other hand Satan makes us think that to become a Christian and surrender our lives to Christ is “not cool” and we will miss out on what life has to offer. He blinds us to the purposeful, satisfying life Christ has for us when we turn to Him.

The Bible also tells us that we cannot serve two masters -- either God or Satan (Matthew 6:24). Who is your master? If you have never received Christ as your Saviour and Lord, Satan is your master, and he wants to keep you enslaved to sin and lost for eternity. God tells us in the Bible that Satan’s final end is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). But tragically he will not be alone in Hell because all those who choose to follow him will be there as well.

How foolish not to listen to God’s warning and, like that zebra, drift closer and closer to certain death. The Bible also says, “The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God in Hell), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

If you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour now, you will no longer belong to Satan, but your name will be recorded in Heaven as one of God’s redeemed children. God Himself will keep you from the enemy and bring you safe to Heaven to be in His presence for eternity. -- Editor.