It's a Bear!!

Remember, old-timers, when we used to say "That's a bear!"  The expression meant a really tough situation.

Over the recent weekend preceding July 4th I was in the mountains.  Driving down a curvy road I glanced over to see ... a bear cub.  Yep, he/she was standing right at the side of the road, looking at us. My mind at first registered a statue, because the real-live-deal was inconceivable.  Yet, reality shifted when the cub began to waddle off into the woods.

A discussion ensued in the car as to what to do when encountering a bear.  Someone mentioned the saying, "Brown, fall down; black fight back."  Catchy saying, but who, really, is going to "fight" a black bear, right?  Not me!  Hopefully, the adage will help us to remember that black bears are generally skittish and that a lot of noise will usually cause their hasty (for a bear) retreat.  My plan is to just start singing opera.  ("O Sole Mio"1, perhaps?) With the brown grizzlies, however, the best strategy is to lie down on the ground, curl up in a ball, and play dead.  Generally, the bear will sniff you and leave for more entertaining pursuits.

Now, I'm not a bear expert (surprise!), but I am certain of this one thing.  EITHER of these two bear-ish situations would produce in most rational humans an extreme sense of fear!  I thought about all this when reading a couple of verses from Proverbs this morning.

21My child, do not let them escape from your sight;

safeguard sound wisdom and discretion.

22So they will give life to you,

and grace to adorn your neck.

23Then you will walk on your way with security,

and you will not stumble.

24When you lie down you will not be filled with fear;

when you lie down your sleep will be pleasant.

25You will not be afraid of sudden disaster,

or when destruction overtakes the wicked;

26for the Lord will be the source of your confidence,

and he will guard your foot from being caught in a trap.

Proverbs 3:21-26 (NET)

Yes, honing in on verses 25 and 26, most of us are afraid when "sudden disaster" comes.  The bear incident recalled above was not of that category, because we were in a CAR, right?  But, my days of walking for exercise along the mountain road by my mother's little cabin are OVER!  I need to exercise (if you'll pardon the pun) discretion in that regard.

Notice that the proverb does not say "if" disaster comes to the child of God, but "when".  I know of no person (with some age on him or her) who has not experienced at least one "sudden disaster".
Even when the person is operating in "sound wisdom and discretion" (verse 21), this WILL at times occur.

Why does God allow this to happen to His children?  The answer is in verse 26 - - so that we will affirm our confidence, our trust, in Him.

Do you know people who cannot sleep, because they are filled with fear and anxiety?  We are told that, as children of King Jesus, we are not to be paralyzed by fear.  In fact, there are 365 verses about fear in the Bible, the Old and New Testaments.  I imagine the reason is that some of us need an "anti-fear verse-a-day" to keep us moving forward in our resplendent walks.

Sudden disaster rarely comes to us as we lie in our beds; that's just where many of us worry about it. Disaster usually comes to us as we "walk on our way" (verse 23).  Again, God does not want us to be mincing about like Tiny Tim, tiptoeing through the tulips!2  (1970's cult music hit)  He wants us to walk confidently, keeping our eyes on Him.

Remember, fellow believer, nothing can touch you without His express permission.  There are times He allows trouble and, yes, even "disaster", to draw us closer to Him and to show His glory through us and our circumstances.

It is hard to praise Him during those times of disaster, when we don't understand what He is doing. Still, He calls us to be confident in His almighty power and to rest in Him, depending on Him to see us through.

I know I quote this hymn's lyrics often, but forgive me, because I just love them so!

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not harm thee, 
I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine."
                    How Firm a Foundation, Text: Isaiah 43:1-7, Author: "Keen",1787, alt
                   Composer: Bernhard Schumacher, 1931
                   Tune: "Firm Foundation"

Sources:

1   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCRm6XXo9kk
     Actually, because no one reads the sources....a lovely gospel song was created, stealing this        famous Italian melody.  The title is "Down From His Glory".  :)

2   http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tinytim/tiptoethruthetulipswithme.html