AN African missionary once caught a very young lion and took it to his home. It was carefully and tenderly brought up along with several tame animals; and as it grew, it seemed to have lost the savage nature belonging to the lion.
For several years it continued to move about the missionary’s homestead, even walking into the rooms and playing with the children. The little daughter would sometimes ride on his back. Probably none of our readers would care to have shared her seat, although, so far as we know, no harm came to the little girl.
One day the tame lion wandered into the forest, where the growl of the savage lion was often heard, and, very likely falling in with some of his kindred, he got into his native haunts, and was seen no more.
He had still only the lion’s nature. It might be tamed, but it could not be changed, and whenever he got out among other lions, he would no doubt become like them.
There is a solemn lesson here for every unsaved reader. The sinner’s nature is enmity against God. You may appear very amiable, and even be outwardly like a Christian, but unless you are born again, and have a new nature implanted in you, you are not fit for God’s presence and must one day undergo His judgment unless you come to Jesus.
ML 06/25/1933