ONE day while traveling through Arabia, Sir John Gaynor was separated from his companions, and was obliged to travel alone. As he was walking along, to his great alarm he saw a huge, fierce-looking lion coming toward him. He had no gun with which to defend himself, and felt sure that the time had come for him to die, unless it should please God to protect and save him.
In a moment he kneeled down and engaged in earnest prayer. He asked the Lord mercifully to spare his life, and deliver him from the jaws of that hungry lion. While he was thus praying, the lion walked close up to him, and went prowling round him several times. Then quietly he turned round and went away, without doing the slightest injury to that man of prayer.
How can we account for this? Just in the same way in which Daniel accounted for his preservation from the lions in the den in his day. God sent His angel and shut the mouth of that Arabian lion, and he did not hurt that praying man.
Dear young friends, there is another lion, still more fierce, who stalks through the land today. He is an enemy of God and man; his name is Satan. Peter warns us: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, 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).
If you have not Christ as your Saviour, he can destroy your soul in hell. Even if we are saved, though he cannot touch that eternal life which we have in Christ, yet he can ruin our testimony for Him, if we are not watchful. We need to have on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." (Eph. 6:11, 1811Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18).)
Christian, walk carefully, danger is near
On in thy journey with trembling and fear.
Snares from without and temptations within,
Seek to entice thee once more into sin.
Christian, walk prayerfully; oft wilt thou fall,
If thou forget on thy Saviour to call;
Safe thou shalt walk through each trial and care,
If thou art clad in the armor of prayer.
Messages of the Love of God 5/4/1958