The Lion, The Adder, And The Dragon
by HJS
Psalm 91 talks about the lion, the adder and the dragon, over which you as God's trusting child can triumph. All the difficulties and challenges you will face in life are represented by one of these three images.
Lions are bold. They meet you head on. Like lions, certain difficulties confront you in life and you feel like running. The reality, however, is that there is no escape from some of the difficulties that stand in your path.
Adders are poisonous snakes. There is no warning with snakes, no loud roars, no footprints on the trail of your life. The snake simply appears and your heart is filled with terror. Life's unexpected, negative surprises are comparable to the venomous bite of the adder.
The third image is the dragon. Dragons are beasts of your imagination or fearsome creatures of mythology. Nonetheless, the dragons of life are terrible creatures of our fear or folly that rob us of our peace of mind. They are the things you fear may happen, such as your health giving out, your money being exhausted or the world collapsing.
And what's the answer to these three fearsome creatures? "Dwelling in the secret place of the most high," says Psalm 91. It's a relationship with God whereby you are not overcome by the lions, the serpents or the dragons of life.
God is a refuge, a place of security, a high tower to which you can run when you are challenged by the lion, struck by the serpent or threatened by the dragon. What more can you ask when you are confronted with difficulty?
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. PSALM 91:13 KJV