As You Go – Pray 4/27/20

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

 

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5

 

Things go bump in the night!  There is nothing more startling and fearful than things that go bump in the night. When you awaken out of a deep sleep at night, somehow sounds are intensified. There are sounds that strike the emotions, touch the deepest level of your soul and strike different chords of emotions and reactions. The sound of breaking glass alerts us to the danger of an intruder, creating fear. The mournful cry of the baby at three in the morning stirs our caring but bone-weary body out of bed. The ear penetrating tornado siren moves us into action for safety. The singing birds welcome the dawning of a new day.

Certain sounds soothe us. Other sounds alert us. The sounds of the teacher motivate us. The sounds of a mother comfort us. However, some sounds can penetrate to the deepest level of our soul. Such is the sound of a lion’s roar in the middle of the night. This is a sound that is not just heard with the ears but felt throughout your body; a sound of power and majesty. One never forgets the power of that roar.

“Don’t worry, they are not hungry” was the supposedly reassuring message of our driver in the middle of a game park in Kenya as Connie, our three children, and I found ourselves sitting in the back of a broken down, open top Land Rover in the middle of a pride of lions.  One is not greatly comforted by the words, “they are not hungry” when looking into the eyes of these majestic animals, even if they were really not hungry.

Scripture is rich in portraying the lion both as good and evil as well as a symbol of power, majesty and beauty. David in Psalm 22:13 describes his enemies, “they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.” Proverbs 20:2 says  the king’s anger is “like the growling of a lion; anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself.”  The nation that God uses In Isaiah 5 to bring judgment on his people is described thusly: “their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey, they carry it off, and no one can rescue.”

The writer of Proverbs captures the lion as the first in the list who is stately in his stride for “the lion is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any,” and Proverbs 28 tells us that “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

C.S. Lewis captured the imagery, beauty and yet fear invoking power of Aslan, the beloved lion in The Chronicles of Narnia. “Hush!” said the other four, for now Aslan had stopped and turned and stood facing them., looking so majestic that they felt as glad as anyone can who feels afraid, and as afraid as anyone can who feels glad.”

Jesus the lion is mighty, powerful and conqueror. Jesus the lamb was sacrificed to give life. The Lion and the Lamb, both joined together in John’s Revelation, for the Lion of Judah has conquered, “so he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” The Lamb can now take the scroll and out of the prayers of the saints, they sing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.”

It is not the isolation, fear and anxiety of the Corona virus pandemic, nor any other crisis that defines us, but the community, boldness, and peace that comes from the lion who roared deep within our souls as Savior and Conqueror.  “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

 

God is great,

Pastor Lynn Burton