I recently saw several news articles about a sweet young woman in California named Dianna Hanson who was cleaning a Lion cage when she sadly met her fate. The lion was in a separate cage that had apparently not been secured properly. The lion somehow managed to pry the door open and then dashed into the main exhibit area where he quickly killed the young woman.
I was saddened to read this horrific story. The young lady was an intern at the wild animal park, and she was well-known within her community for serving others and mentoring those who were younger. She was a model citizen with great dreams for the future.
As I read about this great tragedy, I could not help but to be reminded about God’s warnings to us in 1 Peter 5:8:
Be serious-minded; be alert; for your enemy, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
Sometimes I forget about the danger that Satan wants to bring to my life. He is like a vicious lion that would love to destroy me.
I see Satan destroying lives all around the country every day. Marriages are being blown apart. Young people are constantly being lured into a world where morals no longer seem to exist. Drugs, alcohol, and a myriad of other addictions seem to be taking people wildly out of control in their lives. And yet people do not seem to understand that these perils often come from the Ruler of the darkness of this world: Satan.
I hope you fully understand that Satan is very real. And he doesn’t just want to inconvenience you; he wants to completely destroy you.
Last week I stumbled across an intriguing video of a man who appears to have no fear of lions. You can see that video here. This man calmly wrestles around with lions that have the power to rip him to shreds should they so choose. It appears that this man is bumping so closely up against a complete disaster. It seems like all it would take would be for a lion to barely, accidentally nick him, get a taste of his blood, and then decide this “friend” would actually make a rather delicious meal. Things could “go south” very quickly.
I see so many people today who seem to have no fear of Satan … the Lion. They “wrestle” around with him in a playful way just as this man plays around with these creatures in real life. But you must understand the truth: the Lion is not your friend. He wants to destroy you completely.
Make sure the gate is securely latched so that he cannot have access to your life. Every time you entertain a temptation, you allow Satan to tug on the gate. If you allow that enough, he will eventually force the gate open and end up destroying your life.
Be careful. Be very, very careful.
Veritas Church (Cincinnati, OH)
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