It is said, “When we lack the guts to go after our God-sized dreams, we rob God of the glory He deserves. Twice in the past few months, I’ve hear the story of running to the roar. Not sure I’ve heard this before, or maybe it just has a new significance.
The story takes place on a savannah setting in Africa where the head of a pride, the magnificent Lion, is aging. As he gets older, his mange begins to tatter, his teeth lose their strength and his body begins to fade. As he continues to rule and fight for his position through his old age, the only form of protection he has left is his roar. As the younger lions challenge him, the strength of his mighty roar will cause them to retreat. As the shift of power finally takes place, rather than drive him off, some prides will use the aged lion to their advantage.
When hunting, the lionesses will hide in the tall grass near a watering hole. As evening approaches, herds of antelope and wildebeest will come to the watering hole to refresh after being in the scorching sun. The old lion will appear on the opposite side of the water from where the pride lies hidden. The old lion will let out his terrific roar. The startled prey will react and run from the roar right into the snare of the waiting lionesses. If they had run toward the roar … if they had run toward the thing that seemed most scary to them, they would have not fallen into the trap.
So what does this mean? It means when you face trials, you run to the roar. When a trial or challenge presents itself, we begin to hear the roar and want to run the other way. But as we run or stand frozen in fear, the roar just get loader…and it soon becomes all that we can hear. R.O.A.R. Simply, if the roar becomes all you can hear, rumbling in your ears, run to the roar! When you do, you may just find an aged lion that you can just walk on past.
As Christians, it’s important to note that God goes before us …
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2
Just a reminder that God is the ultimate lion-tamer. Even the fiercest of the lions is no match. He will tame our lions or will walk with us as we pass by them. Run to the Roar, you got this!
