“The lions, Bwana!—they have killed and eaten two more people! Heh! That makes twenty of our Songo tribe those killers have destroyed. And who knows how many goats and how much cattle.” The boy who helped in the kitchen was greatly excited.
The missionary looked out into the darkness of the African night. Was it just imagination that the very night air bore the musky odor he had learned to associate with the lions? The shadow of every wavering bush looked like a lion about to leap. He did not blame the natives for being fearful. Never had he known the lions to be making such raids upon cattle kraals and villages as they were doing now. One dared not venture out into the night in safety.
In the bright sunlight of the next morning lions were forgotten for the time being. There were the sick waiting to be cared for, the morning Bible lesson to give, the school lessons soon to begin. The laughter of little black boys and girls was in the air, and things did not seem nearly as fearful as the night before.
Glancing out of a window, the missionary saw that some of the goats had gotten into his vegetable garden. They had worked hard on that precious patch of vegetables, and he knew it would take no time at all for those goats to do a lot of damage.
The missionary stopped just long enough on the way to pick up a stick to chase the goats with. He was almost upon the goats when he stopped short in horror. He was face to face with three lions!
The lions were crouched with their eyes fixed upon him. Their tails were switching like those of great cats. The missionary gripped his useless stick as his heart cried to God for help. He dared not run—they would be upon him in a moment.
Suddenly there was a frightened cry from one of the goats near him who had caught the scent of his dreaded enemy the lion. Seemingly, in bewildered panic, the goat dashed between the missionary and the lions.
In a flash the three lions were upon the goat in a snarling clawing heap. The missionary knew that this was God’s deliverance, and turning he fled back to the house while the lions were intent upon the goat they were devouring.
As soon as the missionary had gasped out his story he and several others armed with guns hurried cautiously back to the spot, but the great beasts had already bounded away with their prey, and were nowhere to be seen.
How would you like to come face to face with even one hungry lion, boys and girls? Did you know “your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”? You can read this verse in 1 Peter 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). We cannot see this “lion,” but he is very real. It is his desire to destroy every one of us, but Someone saw our great danger and has come between us and him. It was the Lord Jesus!
The frightened goat made a fatal mistake when he flung himself between the missionary and those three hungry lions. The Lord Jesus was not making a mistake, neither did He come unthinkingly between us and our “lion” Satan. He came purposely because of His great love for us!