“God is not a tame lion you can keep in your back pocket.” (Tim Keller)

So true. As Mr. Beaver said in C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in response to Susan’s concern about meeting Aslan the lion, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course hei in’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

We want God to be safe and convenient. We want his help but not his discipline. We want freedom but no boundaries. We want to belong without obligations. We want justice for others and mercy for ourselves. We want to keep him our back pocket – easily accessible but tucked away until we need him.

But God isn’t the tuckable kind. Oh, he is humble and patient enough. But his power and pursuit is too much to be carried and contained.

God is not where you place him. He is bigger. He is beyond. And you can trust him in all things at all times in all ways.

“Will the others see you too?” asked Lucy.

“Certainly not at first,” said Aslan. “Later on, it depends.”

“But they won’t believe me!” said Lucy.

“It doesn’t matter.”