IT WAS a hot day in Africa and May, the missionary’s little daughter wandered down to the pool by the river. For some time she enjoyed cooling her little feet as she waded in the water, but then it began to grow dark.
She started up the path toward home but the long dark shadows of approaching night frightened her. Strange night sounds, the cries of birds and beasts, sent shivers through her little frame and she was afraid to go up the lonely path. Turning back she waded into the pool again and sat huddled upon a rock with fear.
At home mother and father hunted frantically for their little girl and everyone in the mission joined in the search. They spent the whole night calling and searching, but to no avail. Dawn was lighting the sky when they found the little girl asleep on the rock in the shallow water of the pool.
Oh how thankful they were to the Lord for preserving their little one. “But weren’t you terribly frightened, out here alone all night?” asked Mother.
“Well, yes — I was, just at first,” answered little May. “But then I remembered that the Lord Jesus could take care of me out here just as well as at home in bed. So I just prayed and asked Him to!”
“And He did,” she went on simply. “But you should have been here to see. Why, He sent a whole lot of great big dogs who sat around me all night and took care of me.”
She waved her arm in a semi-circle to show where the “big dogs” had sat watching her. Stooping to examine the fresh tracks in the soft mud around the pool the men were amazed. The tracks the “big dogs” had left were none other than lion tracks.
So in answer to the simple faith and trust of little May, the same God that Daniel trusted again closed the mouths of the big lions, causing them to guard instead of harm her that night.
“The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Pet. 5:88Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8). In ourselves we have no more strength to resist him than little helpless May on the rock. But God speaks to our hearts and says, “I have laid help upon One that is mighty.” Psa. 89:1919Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. (Psalm 89:19). He is mighty to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him.
ML-08/01/1976