I never tell a story unless I know for sure it’s true. And I know this one is, because when I told it one day in church a man got up and said, “That story is true, because it happened to my father!”
Maybe you’ve seen lions in zoos. But in Africa we have them out in the open. What would you do if you were out walking, and you came face to face with a man-eater?
I have asked children, and they usually tell me, “I would pray.” Well, that’s a good thing to do. But suppose you forgot to pray? Sometimes the Lord expects us to do something in addition to praying.
Other children tell me they would run away.
But please let me help you here. Have you ever seen a cat chase a mouse? Which can run faster, the mouse or the cat?
That’s my point: if you meet a man-eating lion face to face, DON’T RUN! That would be the worst thing you could do! Why, he would be so happy to see you run, he’d just love to run a race with you. And then—well, I won’t say.
The man who sent a lion running away
Dr. Sturgess had lots of sick people to take care of, and he was up late, so didn’t get much sleep this night. Next morning an African came in to the mission at Mugonero in Rwanda and said, “Bwana, would you please come and bring your gun and shoot the lion that is eating our cows, and goats, and sometimes he has eaten some people.”
Dr. Sturgess said, “Why, of course.” So he took his 7-mm. Mowser with the hair trigger, and started off walking with the African. They walked and walked until they got to a place where the African said, “Bwana, here is where we last saw the lion.”
“All right,” said Dr. Sturgess as he reached in his pocket to get the bullets.
“Kumbe!” he yelled (which means in Swahili, “Wow!”). He had forgotten to bring the bullets! He told the African, “I’m a bit tired, been up almost all night. You run back to the mission and fetch the bullets. I’ll wait here for you.”
But he got a bit sleepy, and lay down to take a little nap.
Then he was awakened by a rustling noise in the grass. He looked up—and there was the lion! The lion was wagging his tail like a cat about to jump on a mouse.
Dr. Sturgess stood up, wondering what to do. I don’t know if he remembered to pray. But he saw there was no tree he could climb, and he knew that to start running would be the worst thing he could do.
The lion started tensing his muscles, getting ready to pounce. And Dr. Sturgess knew he had to do something quick or he’d be dead. So he decided he would turn things around backwards, and instead of the lion charging him, he would charge the lion: At the top of his voice, and lunging toward the beast and waving his arms, he yelled—
“GO AWAY!!!”
Now you may not believe this, but I’m telling the truth: that lion ran away! Now there’s no point in my telling you this story for very likely you won’t meet a lion anywhere soon.
But there is somebody you will meet, and your Bible tells you who he is: “Be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He’s more real than any lion in Africa, because he goes everywhere after boys and girls and grown-ups, and tries to tempt them to do or say something they know is wrong so they can be on his side.
But I’ve got Good News for you: you are bigger and more important than the Devil, and YOU can tell him to get packing, and he will have to obey you. That’s right; he cannot force you to do or say anything that’s wrong. You’re the boss! Let me read it to you:
“Submit yourselves to God.” That’s number one. Satan respects anyone who has done that! If you have already given your life to the Lord Jesus, the devil will be forced to do what you say. Then number two is: “Resist the devil and he will run away from you” (James 4:7).
It’s 100% true; but just remember, it says first of all, “Submit yourself to God.” You have chosen to serve Him all your life. You have told the Lord, “I know I belong to You forever!” The Devil will know you’ve done this, and he will have to run when he hears you say, “GO AWAY!”
When Satan’s temptation comes to you, can you say “NO!”? I mean, stomp your foot and scream it out with every ounce of your soul!
There’s more Good News I have for you: All around the world there are boys and girls who are giving their hearts to the Savior in a special way, because they believe Jesus wants to come so soon that they will see Him and be ready to meet Him. When you give your heart to Him, He takes on the job of teaching and preparing you to be one of them.
Will you say “Yes!” to Him?