How would you like to spend a night in a lion’s bedroom?
“I wouldn’t!” would probably be your answer, but that is just what happened many years ago to Jack. While in the army he was sent to Africa where this adventure took place. This is how it happened.
One night when he was out with some other soldiers he somehow got separated from his friends. After some time he realized that he was lost. He was very tired so he looked for a safe place to sleep until morning when he hoped he could find his way back to the other soldiers.
As he made his way down the dirt path, he noticed a cave. Thinking to himself that this would be an ideal place to rest for the night, he decided to go in and get some sleep.
He had not been sleeping long when he suddenly woke up. He wondered what had wakened him, and then he heard the roar of a lion not far from the entrance to the cave. Fear gripped him! How could he get away? Would the lion smell him and come into the cave?
He did not have long to wonder because to his horror he saw a big shadowy shape block the entrance to the cave, and he knew that the lion had discovered him. All he could think to do was to lie still and pretend to be asleep. The lion came over to him and sniffed him all over, then laid down beside him and went to sleep!
Jack remembered that David, the king of Israel, had been delivered out of the paw of a lion. And so lying there on the sandy floor of the cave with the lion beside him, he cried to God to save him as He had saved David.
Before long the lion was in deep sleep and breathing heavily. Still praying, the young soldier crept softly from the cave. After going a safe distance he climbed a tree and stayed there until morning came. In daylight he soon found his way back to the other soldiers. What an amazing story he had to tell them! God had certainly delivered him.
ML-05/05/1985