Dr. Rebekah McCloud
There is a West African Proverb that says, “The lion’s story will never be known as long as the hunter is the one to tell it.” There is a second one that says, “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” Like the lion, we all have a story. Some of us have lived lives of privilege, joy, and abundance. Some of us have lived lives filled with childhood traumas that have followed us into adulthood. Some of us have teetered in between the two. And still there are others who…
Like the lion, we each have a story to tell. We either tell it, let others tell it, or keep it. Our story, nonetheless, impacts our entire life. It impacts what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.
Over 150 times in the Bible, the lion is used as a symbol for courage, power, strength, majesty, royalty, and success. Jacob, in blessing his sons, said that Judah was a lion’s cub (Genesis 49:9). He gave Judah a special blessing because of his character and the success that would come in his life. Let me tell the story. From Jacob came Judah. From Judah came King David, King Solomon, and Jesus, the Lion of Judah.
The spirit of the lion resides in all of us. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The righteous are as bold as a lion.” I read once that “a lion’s power lies not in his physical strength, but in his unbreakable spirit.” No matter the situation, the spirit of the lion resides in all of us. Proverbs 30:30 reminds us that the lion in us never retreats.
John P. Kee and New Life sing a song titled “Life & Favor.” In it, some of the lyrics say,
“You don’t know my story
You don’t know the things that I’ve come through
You cannot imagine
The pain, the trials I’ve had to endure
You don’t know my story
You don’t know the day you set me free
You cannot imagine
The strongholds and the walls that severed me
In all God has been faithful to me
He promised he would never leave me
My story proves that God can use me
Deliverance is my testimony
You don’t know, my story
It would blow your mind
You don’t know, my story.”
Like the lion, we each have a story. I thank God for Jesus, the ultimate author and storyteller. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the author of life (Acts 3:15), and the author of salvation (Hebrews 2:10). Our story is strengthened by the word of God, the greatest story ever told. It roars in our lives.
God’s promises tell a story that roars (Deuteronomy 31:8, Isaiah 41:10, John 16:33, Psalms 37:23-24, Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 11:28-29, Jeremiah 29:11 & Isaiah 40:31).
God’s faithfulness tells a story that roars (2 Thessalonians 3:3, Lamentations 3:22-23, Exodus 34:6-7, Hebrew 13:8, 2 Timothy 2: 11-13, Psalms 36:5, & 1 John 1:9).
God’s love for us tells a story that roars (1 John 4:18-19, Romans 5:8, John 3:16, Jeremiah 31:3, Galatians 2:20, Titus 3: 4-5, Zephaniah 3:17 & Ephesians 2:4-5).
Like the lion, we each have a story. As we tell our stories, some of us will say God has been good to us. Some might say that if he doesn’t do anything else, he’s done enough. Still others might say he’d been so good, we won’t complain. But God. He is still in the blessing business. Let the love of Jesus be a part of your story today, henceforth, and forever more.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The word of God is like a lion, you don’t have to defend it just turn it loose.” I encourage you to let the word of God, the greatest story ever told, roar in your life. Turn it lose and let it roar!