THE BEAST OF THE EARTH - Stuck in the Lion’s Den

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” And we saw that it was good!
It was an exciting time when we joined the Savages for a visit to the Rhino and Lion Reserve! Unfortunately, the rhinos were in the “Witness Protection Program” and eluded our searching eyes. The lions and leopards picked up the slack and gave us a majestic view of the Creator’s handiwork. We were so close to those magnificent creatures that we could see them breathe, hear them purr and sense the rhythm of their heartbeats.

As we bounced around the rough terrain without four-wheel drive, we watched anxiously around every curve for signs of wild life. It was our closest encounter with nature in the wild. Some areas of particular danger were fenced in and we entered through gates to observe those amazing creatures. The fences were more to protect prey from their predators than to protect either from peering people.

It was a particular thrill to observe the lion and leopard feeding times. We witnessed a close call for a raw man dinner when a ranger turned his back on hungry leopards. It gave new meaning to the phase, “watch your back” and was a reminder about not jeopardizing safety by giving in to distractions.

At one of the feeding points, we drove up next to a ranger’s vehicle for a better vantage point to observe the lion luncheon. The previous night’s storm left the ground muddy and vulnerable to entrapping tires. We became stuck in a wet rut in the middle of the lion’s "lunch-roam." It became reminiscent of Daniel’s experience in the Old Testament although he had no rangers with walkie-talkie’s to summon a rescue. His faith and obedience summoned a higher rescue plan so that he was not listed on the den menu as the “catch of the day.” Instead he became a symbol of the miraculous blessings that can attend those who fear God and not man.

Our ranger neighbor quickly assessed our situation and summoned help. In moments, we were in the middle of a triangle of three ranger vehicles. Massive lions joined the circle and eyed us as if we were about to be their Saturday Lunch Special. It was impossible to launch a rescue with the lions on the loose so we waited for them to lose interest in our addition to the menu. Such was not the case! Our appeal remained constant.

With no opportunity to attach a tow-chain, one of the rangers charged the lions with his truck and scared them off for just enough micro-seconds for the brave ranger behind us to jump out of his vehicle and push our trembling car out of the rut and back onto the dirt road. It was a heroic thing for him to do. We were so grateful to have been spared from being listing as the “catch of the day” at the Rhino and Lion Reserve. It was thrilling to get an up-close view of these beautiful creatures.

We pondered the plight of Daniel and suddenly his story took on new meaning as we realized the possible demise in the den that could only have been stayed by the hand of God. He “shut their mouths.” That’s no small thing! Daniel, Chapter 6, would be a good read about now." - Sister Basso

L. Tom Perry said, "Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should worship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served “in the world” in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way “in the world” in which we live!

May we have the necessary faith to place our trust in the Lord and not worry about the forces that will surely oppose righteousness. May we have the courage to move forward in the cause of truth.

As we live “in the world,” may we contribute by making it a better place because of our righteous living, our service in causes that are just, and our faith that good will ultimately triumph over evil."