The missionary knew there were lions around, but he felt fairly safe on his big 500 c.c. motorcycle. Deng, his African Christian friend, was riding on the seat behind him. The two often traveled together to preach the gospel to those living in the many villages who knew not God or a Saviour’s love, but were traveling on to eternity. They wanted to tell them that the Lord Jesus loved them and died on the cross for their sins.
It was early morning twilight. They were riding down a steep, rocky hill, when suddenly Deng whispered something in Fred’s ear. Looking up he saw four eyes gleaming in the light of the headlamp. He jammed on the brake, and there he saw the outline of two full-grown lions, standing only 15 yards away, right in the middle of the road. The first rays of the sun were lighting the sky and he could see that one was a hungry-looking female, and the other a big male, his “collar” of fur bristling fiercely around his head.
Deng hung on tight as they put their feet down on the road to steady the motor cycle which Fred kept running. What should they do? They prayed that God would show them. They thought of how those lions were like Satan. Scripture says he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (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 are only safe when we have Christ as our Saviour. Then it is we are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:55Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5)), and that is a power above the power of Satan.
The male lion decided to act. He disappeared silently into the long grass beside the road.
“That’s bad,” Fred thought. “The male lion always stalks the prey, chasing it towards the female, who does the killing. He’s going to circle around and come up behind us.”
If they had turned around, the lioness would have jumped on their backs. And if she had missed the first leap, they still couldn’t have gotten away up the steep hill in time. They moved a little closer. She didn’t budge.
Fred blew the horn; he raced the engine; he blinked the headlights. But she stood her ground. He didn’t know how close her mate was behind them by now. Then she put her head close to the road and switched her tail back and forth like a cat watching a mouse. He knew then she was going to spring on them.
“Oh God, help us now!” Fred prayed silently.
Quickly he opened the throttle wide and headed the motor cycle straight at the lioness. For a second she watched them; then suddenly she turned around and ran down the road. He knew he had to keep right after her, or she might turn on them and maybe her mate was following. The lioness kept running down the road, like a galloping donkey, while they roared behind her for all they were worth. Then suddenly she wheeled off into the grass and disappeared. They kept sailing right on, thankful for the Lord’s deliverance.
“Deng,” said Fred, when they filly stopped for a rest, “this reminds me of that verse of scripture, ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ " Deng pulled his robe closer around him and blinked his dark eyes. The next time Satan tempted him to sin, he would remember that verse.
Perhaps the most wonderful lion story of all is told by Daniel, how he was put in the lions’ den. But he, too, was “kept by the power of God", and he could say: “My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me.... He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Dan. 6:22,2722My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (Daniel 6:22)
27He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:27).)
The Sudan Witness retold.
ML-04/23/1978