We Are Called to Obey Him

(This post is part of a series of posts about The Chronicles of Narnia.)

Trumpkin the dwarf and the four Pevensie children are making their way through Narnia to the camp of Prince Caspian, but the landscape has changed since the Pevensies were there before, and Trumpkin had been blindfolded when he was taken to where he met up with them. It is not long before they all become lost.

As they are heading along what seems the most logical route, Lucy sees Aslan, the lion who is the Christ figure of the stories, indicating to her that they are to follow him in a different direction. She tells the others, but they do not believe her. Miserably, she continues to follow them. Their route turns out all wrong and they are attacked by enemies. They barely get away, and they end up heading back in the direction Aslan had wanted.

That night, Lucy awakens and encounters Aslan while the others are sleeping. Here is part of their conversation. Aslan says,

"You have work in hand, and much time has been lost today."

"Yes, wasn't it a shame?" said Lucy. "I saw you all right. They wouldn't believe me. They're all so—"

From somewhere deep inside Aslan's body there came the faintest suggestion of a growl.

"I'm sorry," said Lucy, who understood some of his moods. "I didn't mean to start slanging the others. But it wasn't my fault anyway, was it?"

The Lion looked straight into her eyes.

"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy. "You don't mean it was? How could I—I couldn't have left the others and come up to you alone, how could I? Don't look at me like that...oh well, I suppose I could. Yes, and it wouldn't have been alone, I know, not if I was with you. But what would have been the good?"

Aslan said nothing.

"You mean," said Lucy rather faintly, "that it would have turned out all right—somehow? But how? Please, Aslan! Am I not to know?"

"To know what would have happened, child?" said Aslan. "No. Nobody is ever told that."

"Oh dear," said Lucy.

"But anyone can find out what will happen," said Aslan. "If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me—what will happen? There is only one way of finding out."

"Do you mean that is what you want me to do?" gasped Lucy.

"Yes, little one," said Aslan.

"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," said Aslan.

...

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her.

Aslan has his own agenda. He knows best what ought to be done. And just like Aslan, in our world, Christ has his own agenda. He has told us in the Bible what ought to be done.

We know from reading God's Word what is right. But sometimes it is very hard to do it. Surely, we think, God doesn't expect us to stand up all by ourselves and do what is right all on our own, does he?

But we won't be truly alone when God is with us. And there is only one way to find out what will happen when we obey him, and that is to do it. Will others believe us? Will they like what we do? That doesn't matter. What matters is that we obey God.

How can we find the strength to do this? We bury our heads in his mane. We turn to him in prayer. Christ will give us his lion-strength and his loving consolation.

The others said some very bitter things to Lucy at first, when she wakened them and told them they had to follow her and Aslan. But even so, it all turned out very well for her in the end. It always turns out well in the long run when we follow Christ.