A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 13

Proverbs 26: 13     The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!  A fierce lion is in the streets!”

Proverbs 26:13.  The road leads from your general position to the distant, the long term destinations/ destiny to which God has called you. The streets run right up to and from where you are right now.  The streets are the short term paths that you must negotiate to reach the roads of greatness. 

But you think there’s a lion on the road, and you think there’s a lion prowling the streets.  Before you even take the first step of progression from where you are to where you say you want to be you begin to obsess over the potential problems, the inevitable difficulties, all the reasons why you “know it won’t work,” all the people who “ain’t gone let you do that.”  Long term and short term, you believe there will be some lion enemy standing in the way of you making any real change.

And maybe you’re right.

I mean, in the most basic sense every Christian faces a lion in the road and a fierce lion in the streets.

1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

The devil does want to steal your joy.  He is looking for a chance to steal your blessings.  He and his agents are actively pursuing an opportunity to destroy your potential for fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God.   The obstacles, the enemies, the traps, the schemes, the lions ---- are real.

So?

So, what?

You still have places to go.  You still have things to do.  Lion or no lion, sitting in the same place doing nothing more and nothing better?  Nah, dude.  That’s not an option.

Sooooo?  What about the lions?

You know what will make a lion shut up and get off the road?   A bigger lion. 

When the biggest lion roars, all the little lion enemies lower their heads and back down---- except those who are part of the biggest lion’s own pride/ family.  They walk behind the biggest lion without fear. 

And guess what? 

The other lions don’t mess with the biggest lion or with the biggest lion’s family, not when they stick close.

Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah, is the Biggest of all the lions.  Next to Him, satan’s a kitty-cat.  Oh, satan’s scary compared to you or me, but compared to Jesus?  Pssh! Whatever, man.

If you have somewhere to go in life, just walk with Jesus.

Hosea 11:10 “They shall walk after the Lord. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west.

When you line up your walk closely with God then He actually grants you authority to act on His behalf against the lions who stand in your way.

 Consider Samson. 

Judges 14: 5, 6.  So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.

And THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. …  (Judges 14: 5, 6)

Don’t fear the lions in the street or the lions in the road.   Don’t let the possible (or actual) problems and opposition keep you from giving new & better service to God.  Don’t let fear (or laziness disguised as fear)  keep you in the same place doing the same little or nothing you’ve been doing. 

Get up, get out, and go handle your Father’s business. Just stick close to Jesus, the lion who roars from Heaven.

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

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