The Cat Cage
There he was, tail held high, wandering about in the cool of the evening, right after his dinner, when it happened, out of nowhere the stray Tom Cat struck, he struck fast, well planned, and furiously attacked, Simba did his best to protect, defend and to escape but the wild Tom was too well planned in his attack, and Simba got severely bitten, the victor wandered off, proud that he had once more exercised his domination of everything in his dominion.
Limping home, familiar things was all Simba wanted, up on the bed where he would be safe and warm for the night, and close to those who loved and cared for him. But the bite had infected him and as the night wore on a raging spark of infection became a full blown debilitating disease. Then the fear and reality kicks in, this means a trip to the Vet, and that means a “Cat Cage” and a “Car.”
After running and hiding, he eventually climbed up on a spare bed in the warm morning sun, his hiding place was discovered, the door closed, capture, Cage, Car and then the Vet, the dreaded “Two C’s” Cage and Car. The vet in their kind and compassionate way spoke quietly and compassionately, the wounds were attended to, injections administered, back into the dreaded cage and car, but that meant fleeing to the safety and sanctuary of “Home.” 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” Job 1:7 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
You see, Satan is just like that stray Tom Cat, he is prowling his domain, planet Earth, and gladly pounces on anybody and everybody, inflicting the bite of Sin and Death, throwing his power about and forcing domination and subjection to death on all he can. When Satan infects us, we so often also have the dreaded “Two C’s,” of “Coming to Jesus” and “Confession.” Like the cat in the story, we slink off and hope that “time will heal” when time usually means that the infection of sin get so great that death ensues. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We are so often reluctant and slow to “Come to Jesus” and when we do come, confession is almost a “Blame Game” as it was everybody else’s fault. Daniel 9:5-6 “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.” We have Daniel who is so much like Joseph, in whom scripture also records no hint of sin, they sort of look like Jesus Christ, but Daniel is casting his lot in with his sinful Nation, and is accepting that he is part of their sin and shame.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.” As the old scripture song goes, “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,” so why do we freeze in Fear of the dreaded “Two C’s?” This scripture admonished us to “Come unto me,” Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus is just like the Vet in our Parable, he can administer tender and compassionate care, and much needed first aid and healing, but firstly we must “Come to Him,” Confess,” cast ourselves into his committed care, and let him select and administer the cure, when so often we want to dictate the terms and conditions, as well as the cure.
Hebrews 2:13a “And again, I will put my trust in him.” 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Matthew 1:28 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Simba made a speedy recovery, but lingering inside with caring humans is a very safe place to be, the same applies to when we are “In Christ, and Christ is In Us,” for lingering often and long in his presence means that it is much harder for that ole Tom Cat – Satan, to get to us, to do us harm, as we are always safe in the arms of Jesus, so curl up in his lap today, and bask in the warmth of his love and tender mercy.
