Proverbs 20:2 Gulp!

Solomon speaks of a king’s power over life and death of those he governs. Gulp! Don’t poke the bear and feel the claw or taunt a lion and feel his teeth.

First of all, I hope I’m back on track for a while. This has been a wild (as in trying) week/weekend. Traveling for doctor’s appointments isn’t much fun. I like my own bed but sometimes you just have to do what needs doing. Website problems on top of that made me even more frustrated. Hopefully all is well and we can enjoy our time together again.

This is a scary thought for those of us who don’t live with the threat of our government actually taking our life from us if we anger them. I’m pretty sure that the offense had to be pretty bad for such an action even in Solomon’s kingdom. Today, being of the wrong faith is sometimes a capital offense. In that instance you have to decide which King/king you are going to please. One may take your life but the Other holds sway over your eternal soul.

Thinking about the lion’s roar, I realize that his roar is not used during the hunt. It is a warning to an offending intruder or even a wayward cub. It is meant to frighten and stop another in their tracks. There is power hinted at in its rendering but in and of itself, it does not wield the power. The paw or the jaw is what wields the power. It’s a call to get your life in order, before dire measures have to be taken.

God ‘roared’ at Israel for some time before He used ‘the paw’. He gave them MANY warnings. Judah heeded some of those warnings but the Northern Kingdom of Israel ignored them all. Did they believe Him to be a toothless lion that would not act on His ‘roar’/word?

Refusing to heed the lion’s roar is just as dangerous as ignoring God’s ‘roar’. The lion doesn’t roar outside of his own area. He reigns in his ‘kingdom’ and that reign is absolute. His ‘subjects’ KNOW not to cross him or test his patience. The cubs are given a little more latitude as they are just learning the rules of the ‘kingdom’. ‘Foreigners’ are given one warning and they BETTER heed it! For the lion’s protection of his ‘kingdom’ and ‘subjects’ is absolute. He will protect them with his life. He will fight for them to the death. But he will also defend his ‘throne’ from those within who challenge his place. I have a feeling that the ‘challenge’ times are when the roars are heard the most.

We are told in 1 Peter 5:8 that Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking to devour others. I will NOT make light of his ability to trick, entice, or corrupt a person who is not watching out for his tricks. But his ‘roar’ is NOTHING compared to the ‘roar’ of MY King.

When Satan rose up from within God’s own Kingdom, he met the ‘PAW’ of the Lord. The roar didn’t keep him in line so it was time to put action to the warning. Satan was thrown down and OUT of God’s Kingdom. Now he prowls the earth looking to frighten others into submission so he can reign over them using his ‘roar’.

DO NOT BE MISLEAD. Satan DOES have power. It is the power man gave him through sin. But his power ONLY extends to those of his kingdom. He can threaten and sometimes scare those of God’s Kingdom but he has no power over them. Only when we give him again through sin. He CANNOT take our lives out of God’s hands! HE won’t allow it. He tries to convince us that he has power over us so we will fear him. Face him down! Stand in the KNOWLDEGE of which King you serve.

Satan CANNOT steal from God. He has NO POWER in God’s Kingdom. Yes, we will still have difficulties in this world as it was given to Satan by man to rule. But Satan can only touch the flesh of man. He has NO POWER over the eternal soul of those who have joined the Kingdom of God.

I can just see the ‘roaring’ contest now. Satan stands to face God. He reaches down into the deepest part of himself and draws out the fiercest roar he can muster. God looks at him and says; “Is that all you got?”

Satan tries again, straining every muscle he has to be heard across the globe.

Jesus looks up. “Did you say something? I was busy and couldn’t quite hear it.”

Satan, red in the face with rage, tries one more time. With everything he has in him he roars until he is breathless. God doesn’t even flinch. A moment later God stands up. He takes in a breath and begins to roar. Satan is sent tumbling as it fills every corner of creation. It shakes the earth, ignites the comets, and shifts the stars from their orbits. More than that, it melts the hearts of every one of Satan’s followers and it fills the children of God with hope and confidence.

Jesus looks over at His Father, with a smile on His face and says; “Now THAT was a real roar.”

Those in God’s Kingdom have NOTHING to fear. Satan cannot take ANYTHING of lasting value from us. He may roar in my face but my God has me safe in His hands. Satan can take only what belongs to him. He cannot touch what belongs to God. He may take my physical body but he CANNOT touch my soul! I belong to God.

God is also able to watch over all the aspects of my physical world. Because I am His, what I have given to Him are His too. I can rest assured that He is in control of my life. His plans for me WILL come to pass. Satan can do NOTHING to stop God’s plans for me. I live in a fallen world but I serve a risen Lord. I will walk where He leads me. I’m sure I will go ‘off script’ at times but I KNOW He will bring me back EVERY TIME I wander.

THANK YOU FATHER for Your love! Thank You that my life is in YOUR hands. Thank You for being my King. Thank You for ‘roaring’ over me and melting ALL Satan tried to come at me with. I trust You with ALL my life! I am Yours Father. I LOVE You with everything in me. Grow that love every day. Deepen it Father so that I NEVER stray!