“For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter.”
Ecclesiastes 8:6 (NIV)
C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, which is a fantasy and an allegory with an underlying Christian message, but I never read the book or saw any of the movies that were made. I do remember my two boys reading and enjoying all the stories of the Chronicles of Narnia, when they were young.
Out of curiosity, I recently rented the movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, which is the first series in C.S. Lewis’s book, just to learn what the story entails.
The repeated mantra throughout the story is that “Aslan is on the move.” The belief is that Aslan is always present even when he is not seen, and that he will one day appear and make all the wrongs right, bringing peace and justice to Narnia.
Aslan is a lion, who is the true King of Narnia, and he also represents Jesus, the lion of Judah and the King of kings.
He is the only hope against the evil white witch, who had taken oppressive control over Narnia.
There is an appointed time for the day that Aslan will appear and render His righteousness in Narnia. The living hope of his presence is believed in without seeing him, until he physically appears in the 12th chapter of the novel. Until then, the words that were whispered and circulated among believers in Narnia, were “Aslan is on the move.”
One day Jesus will come and make everything right, in the 12th chapter of God’s novel story of creation. He will correct all that is wrong in our world, but for now, He has a proper time and procedure for every matter. It may not seem like it, but He is subtly on the move throughout this world, effecting the times, matters and procedures of all the nations.
There is still a hidden message that I found through the Chronicles of Narnia, and it is that a proper time does not just refer to major world events, but to each of our individual lives as well.
Just like Aslan, Jesus is on the move in our lives, as an invisible Presence, who is whispering to our spirits, responding to all prayers, and giving us hope and consolation. We can experience Narnia in a metaphoric sense, every day. The Lion of Judah makes Himself present to any person who asks or seeks Him. He effects every procedure and every matter in its proper time.
My son, Jon, hasn’t eaten a thing by mouth in 11 months, ever since his accident. He is still being fed through a tube in his stomach. Knowing he is capable of drinking water, since I tried it for the past week, I decided to give him his first popsicle yesterday, the kind that is in plastic casing. He ate that popsicle with enjoyment, and never once choked. He had the craving to receive it by mouth and Jesus gave him the ability to eat it. Eating a popsicle may seem trivial, but it was a huge step of progress, to watch him eat without choking.
It was the first thing he has tasted in his mouth since the accident. It’s a small example that Aslan, the Lion, or Jesus- is “on the move” in Jon’s life.
The scripture today assures us that there is a time and procedure for every matter and without a doubt, the Lord is surely on the move in all matters in our lives as well. If He gives us the craving, He will help us to take the next step of progress in His timing, to fulfill His will in our lives, and discover His victory in our Narnia.
Lord, you are the Lion of Judah and King of kings, who is sovereign over all of our lives. We believe you are on the move and we ask you to keep working with your proper time and procedure for every matter in our lives. Amen