In Africa some native Christians decided to hold a conference in their little hall, and invited other Christians from other places to come with them to study God’s Word for three or four days.
This meant many hungry mouths to feed, and the granaries were empty. They were able to buy millet for the staple food, but yet there was no meat. To buy meat for such a group was beyond their means. What should they do? They prayed that God would supply their need, for His Word tells us that “all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matt. 21:2222And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22).
Stefano Atandi, one of the native Christians, prayed with his wife and six children during the week preceding the conference. Soon the night before the opening dates of the conference was upon them. Still no meat! Seven o’clock in the evening they sat outside their hut. God still had time to work, but how was it to be accomplished. They went into the hut, and fell on their knees to pray.
No sooner had they started to pray when they heard a terrific noise just outside their hut. Stefano recognized it immediately as the roar of a lion. Their next anxious moments of prayer were for their safety rather than for meat. Several moments elapsed before he dared to peek outside the hut and, to his amazement, he saw a huge water buck struggling and breathing its last.
What happened! A lion had stalked the buck, and attacked it right near their yard. He dragged it to their hut and becoming frightened by the sound of their voices, he left his precious prey there and scampered off to safety. Stefano built a large fire in the yard to scare away the lion from any further attempts to reclaim his prize and then proceeded to butcher the buck. What a fine supply of meat, and in what a remarkable way God met their need.
Stefano and his family slept little that night as they talked about the affair. Again and again their voices burst forth in songs of praise to God for this miracle. His unbelieving neighbors heard the lion and were there to see with their own eyes how God worked on their behalf. The fame of it was spread abroad from hut to hut, and God’s name was glorified.
Nothing is too hard for God, and He tells us that He will supply all our need (Phil. 4:1919But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)). He will never fail His children who come to Him and ask Him in faith for their needs, for He is a bountiful God, and His mercies endure forever.
ML 11/05/1961