I had been deep in prayer for weeks, then one day in prayer I nodded off to sleep and had an amazing dream. I dreamt that I was with my friend and she had a pet lizard. The friend’s face was not visible, and I do not recall a name.
The lizard was ugly, squirmy, and every time I looked at it, I got the shivers. It was her pet though, so I tried to just be gentle with it. As I watched it moving around, it kept sticking out its tongue and wiggling its tail. It was gross. It started to walk towards something, away from us. As my eyes followed it, suddenly a lion’s paws came into view, and then the entire body of a lion cub. Although a cub, it was still big and with great power. The lizard was moving towards it, so I was starting to panic for the lizard’s sake.
My friend insisted it was fine, as the lion cub was also her pet and therefore, I should not worry. However, as the lizard got close to the lion cub, I could not help but be scared for the lizard. I mean, pets or not, there is always animal instinct. The lion did not move, and its eyes were gazing away from the lizard as if not to even notice the lizard. The lizard though, kept slithering its’ tongue at the lion, and using its’ little claws and feet to instigate and antagonize the lion. My friend kept reassuring me. I was really worried about the lizard, even it being a slimy, ugly, black lizard.
I knew in one slash that the lizard was done. The lion, though, continued to ignore it, with the lizard having no effect on the lion at all. But then, at one point the lion decided to teach the lizard a lesson. It began lifting its paw and placed it on the head of the lizard and started bouncing it like a ball. Up and down, nonstop. The lizard did whatever the lion wanted it to do and up and down it went, as if it had no control of its own. Still the lizard kept antagonizing the lion with its tongue and claws. Then, finally the lizard scooted away a little bit. I was relieved, I thought, oh good, the lizard is safe.
The friend would not let me help the lizard, so I had to just watch in panic and the scene played out to the next level. The lizard could not resist, and like Lot’s wife, it turned back and started to antagonize the cub again. Then, finally the cub turned over its paw and released a single claw and placed it gently under the chin of the lizard. The lizard froze obediently. At that point, if the lizard had moved either way, up or down, it would have been dead.
The single claw was positioned in such a way that with any movement the claw would have gone straight through the lizard’s chin/neck and brain. We all froze. There was nothing we could really do, as all power was with the lion cub. Given the position of the claw, even we could do nothing. At that moment I woke up suddenly. I sat for a minute, because the whole scene had really left me full of emotion, as dreams often do bring about strong emotion.
I mulled over the dream for hours. It was just weird with great imagery and it stuck with me. I kept focusing on the pets and wondered, who would have a lion and lizard for pets? Why a lion a lizard? Such an odd dream! Then as I made supper, I was telling my husband about the dream and as I spoke the words aloud, “the lion and the lizard (serpent)”, it came to me like a flash of light.
The dream was imagery to show me that even though the lion was only a cub, its size, power, and authority over the little lizard was magnanimous. Not only its size, but it had complete control, was patient, tolerant and peaceful, even though the lizard was being such a pest. It had complete authority and control even over us. The lizard had to be obedient to the lion and could not do anything the lion did not allow it to do. It looked at the lion, even as it was irritating the lion, with submission and respect.
The lion was Jesus, the lizard the devil. As soon as I said the words out loud, I understood the imagery, it changed my whole attitude about my own worries and fears. I realized that we make the devil to seem much more powerful than he really is. When we get worried about anything, it causes us to get angry, deeply depressed, frustrated and worried. We make it to be such a big thing and we tend to miss in that moment how truly in control and powerful our God is, for He has all authority over the devil.
With the dream and now with the imagery, it immediately put everything into perspective for me as to literally how the devil has no power over God, and to how magnanimous God’s power is. It also showed me how we mistakenly give aid to the devil or try to help it in our own misery.
My sympathy for the lizard was a warning to be more aware, that I should never give the devil a foothold. Not even an inch. It may be that in the dream God was the friend, the lion cub was Jesus, and the lizard was the devil, but with that imagery I really was able to understand how we need not fear anything but God and how we must not allow ourselves to think the devil is bigger than what he really is.
We must not give power to the enemy. We can TRULY trust that God is in complete control and is the only Victor and Spiritual Authority. I know this, as do you, but somehow the imagery had such an impact on my mind and heart, that things which were happening in my life became suddenly insignificant. A little dream, a little lion, but a very powerful God. I was immediately grateful to God.
As it turned out, after the dream, the entire week I had many friends and family call or message me in sadness or fear with one issue or another. Our nations are experiencing so many challenges and many find themselves in a dark place. Let us listen to the hurt and fear of those around us, with complete confidence and strength in God to remind each of them not to worry nor to fear. Let us encourage them to trust in God who has all authority over the enemy.
I hope this blessed you as it did me. The image is now engrained in my head. The lion and the lizard, a reminder of God’s all power and authority over the devil.
Blessings in Christ
Mara Ochoa