I Was the Lion...

"I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you." (The Horse and His Boy)

God is so good to make His presence known just when we need it. His timing is perfect. Just yesterday the C. S. Lewis quote above was on an app on my iPod touch that I try to read daily (and tweet, too). The significance of the quote (to me especially) can not be understated. As it has to do with the entire Narnia book series, it is, above all, the most special to me. Of course, the book "The Horse and His Boy" is my favorite to begin with. Its overarching theme is the sovereignty of God in a person's life.

And so God reminded me of that yesterday morning (my favorite quote from C. S. Lewis). Only He could know (and ahead of time) I would need it later that day when something I had applied for, and had my heart set on, did not come to pass. In short, I wasn't picked.

I could easily be down. (I was a bit. Well, maybe more than a bit.) I could easily be thinking my time had passed. (I had those feelings, too.) And yet God (in His sovereignty!) gave me the very quote that only He knew, once my emotions settled, He could remind me of (Holy Spirit: "Hey Mike, remember that quote from this morning?") and I would know it was Him.

And I would know He knew what had happened to me. (Selah~pause to reflect)

And that He alone had planned it for me not to be picked. (Selah~pause to reflect again)

And that it was the best thing even though it hurt. (Selah~pause to reflect one last time)

I am tearing up again (as I tend to do). :)

You might also be interested in:

• A Boy Feeling Sorry for Himself and a Great Lion
• Swept Away By the Dawn Treader

A Boy Feeling Sorry for Himself and a Great Lion

"'I do think,' said Shasta, 'that I must be the most unfortunate boy that ever lived in the whole world. Everything goes right for everyone except me.'"

In the Narnia series book, The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis, a boy named Shasta finds himself having a pity party. And why shouldn't Shasta pity himself? After all, his whole life has been a series of unfortunate and depressing circumstances. He's been left behind, left alone, forgotten. (Ever have that happen?)

It is in the midst of Shasta's wallowing that he discovers somebody walking beside him. It seems that this "Thing" (or Person) has been with him for a lot longer than Shasta realized.

If you've read the book you know it's the great lion, Aslan Himself, who's near Shasta (even though he didn't know it). It's a quite wonderful part (and I'm convinced the high point) of The Horse and His Boy where Shasta learns about how, during his whole life, Aslan has been with him ~ through the ups and downs ~ and, in reality, he's been orchestrating (the great Lion has) every last single one of them.

It's here in the story that Aslan speaks to Shasta...

"I was the lion...who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

And Jesus has been with us similarly. (Selah~pause to reflect) And I just feel very impressed to say it: Jesus has been with you every last step of the way. (Somebody just burst into tears after reading that.) Did you need to hear it? Let it sink in, dear one, loved by the Lord.

I challenge you to look back over your life and go to each point and see them through the eyes of the Spirit and recognize and view God there with you in that moment, in that time, orchestrating, helping, guiding, stirring, moving, drawing, loving, holding, undergirding, strengthening, leading ~ YOU!

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you." (Isaiah 43:2a)

You might also be interested in:

• On a Dragon, a Boy, Sinners and Forgiveness
• Swept Away By The Dawn Treader