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lions are mean :: Tuesday E-Devotion

Ok.  We are in the midst of our series Chase the Lion, and I start thinking about lions.  They are beautiful animals.  But they are mean, too.  Have you ever seen that?  They have a huge roar and fangs and such. 
 
Can you imagine running into the situation that Benaiah did (see 2 Samuel 23)?  Lions will tear you apart and not think twice about it.  Our world is full of lions.
 
1 Peter 5:8 (nlt) --- Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
 
Just at the moment when all is calm.  No worries around you.  Life seems to be moving forward.  A lion roars and moves into your life.  That verse speaks volumes about the lions we encounter.  Some of them are the work of our enemy, Satan.  How do we deal with that lion?  Running scared.  Or, Standing strong.  You make that call.
 
I have to be reminded from God pretty often that I am on the winning team, God's team.  All I have to trust is Him.  All I need is what He has provided.  Even when the lion is loud and I can see His fangs shining in front of me, God is still the one who protects and provides.
 
Remember the story of Daniel in the lion's den?  Here is another look at that:
 
Daniel 6:16-23 (nlt) --- So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you."  A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone...so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night.  Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions' den.  When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?"  Daniel answered, "Long live the king!  My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty."  The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
 
God shut the lion's mouths.  They couldn't roar.  They couldn't show their fangs.  They couldn't touch God's kid that had been thrown to them.  How does God take care of the lions we face?
 
Ephesians 6:13 (nlt) --- Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
 
Chasing lions is an adventure and a bit scary, but when God is with you, the lions seem like kittens.  Lions are mean but can't compare to our God.

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