The Lion and the Gazelle

Based on an old African proverb, there's a quote that says, "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

When we awaken each morning, we must realize that there is a roaring lion who wants to devour us. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary - the devil - walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan has targeted you as a victim. He knows your name and address, your strengths and weaknesses. Somewhere in the shadows, he and his forces lurk, waiting, planning for the moment they will strike when you’re caught off-guard.

If we're ready for him, if we're prepared for his tactics, we can resist him. Not by our own power or by our own strength, but by allowing the Holy Spirit who lives in us to confront him and defeat him.

1 John 4:4 "Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world."

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

A pearl to string: Our greatest weapon is prayer. In Psalm 5, we read that David came to God early in the morning and asked for his protection and help.

"The Secret"
By Bishop Ralph Cushman

I met God in the morning
When the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

Know you are loved,
Lyndi