Tenchi
Member
Bill was watching the grizzly very closely. Very closely. It was only fifty yards or so away now and closing, a huge, brown mountain of muscle, claws, teeth and fur ambling toward him, loudly sniffing the air. It was the biggest bear Bill had ever seen in his decades as a wilderness adventurer – by far. And it was getting closer and closer.
An hour ago, through a pair of binoculars, Bill’s friend, Joe, had seen the bear approaching. He had wondered if the bear’s path would cross their own and had warned Bill of the possibility. “It’s a mile away!” Bill had replied, smiling at Joe’s concern. “It has no idea we’re here. We’ll just keep out of its way.”
“It’s a really big bear, Bill,” Joe had pointed out. “And if its hunting, we’ll be on its menu for sure.”
Bill had just rolled his eyes. “It has no idea we’re here. Relax. It doesn’t have a pair of binoculars, too, y’know. We’ll just keep an eye on it and avoid it if we have to.”
Joe had shrugged in response, yielding to Bill’s reasoning. The likelihood they’d actually encounter the bear face-to-face was slim, given the vast valley they were in. And they did have the binoculars.
But, occupied with the world around them, its beauty, grandeur and endless points of interest, in short order, both Bill and Joe forgot about the bear.
And now, here it was, only yards away and closing. Bill was cursing himself for not keeping an eye on the massive creature. It was enormous! How could he have lost track of it?! And now the bear was looking right at him, very still, very focused.
“Psst!” Joe hissed at Bill from a thick branch about ten feet up a towering conifer. “Up here! It’s too big to climb very far. Quick! Give me your hand! I’ll pull you up!”
Bill stood, heedless of Joe’s words, transfixed by the bear thumping toward him. Smashing through bushes and saplings, their leaves and branches scattering in a shower of debris to either side of it, heavy clods of mud and grass flung into the air by its massive claws, the bear charged straight at Bill.
“Bill!” Joe screamed, “Take my hand! Take my hand!”
He couldn’t look away. His mind caught by the sight of the terrible roaring danger, his thoughts narrowed to the sights and sounds of the fanged doom rushing toward him, his attention bound by the horror lunging for his throat, Bill was oblivious to the escape offered to him by Joe.
Tears coursed down Joe’s face as he scrambled to the topmost branches of the tree, agonized sobbing shaking his body. He could hear the grizzly crashing away through the underbrush with its meal. Why had Bill just stood there? Why? He could have escaped! Why didn’t Bill take his hand?
The bear knew why. Many were the animals he had caught, frozen in fear at his approach. Fear was a weapon, he knew, as effective as his claws and teeth; fear mesmerized and paralyzed his prey; fear could blind his prey to avenues of escape – but only so long as he could keep his prey fixed on him. From long experience, he knew not to chase after any prey that looked away from him as he charged. They were sure to flee and it was just too much effort shifting his massive bulk in pursuit. He knew he could always find easier prey, creatures that could be trapped by fear. Like the one he was enjoying right now.
1 John 4:16-19
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
An hour ago, through a pair of binoculars, Bill’s friend, Joe, had seen the bear approaching. He had wondered if the bear’s path would cross their own and had warned Bill of the possibility. “It’s a mile away!” Bill had replied, smiling at Joe’s concern. “It has no idea we’re here. We’ll just keep out of its way.”
“It’s a really big bear, Bill,” Joe had pointed out. “And if its hunting, we’ll be on its menu for sure.”
Bill had just rolled his eyes. “It has no idea we’re here. Relax. It doesn’t have a pair of binoculars, too, y’know. We’ll just keep an eye on it and avoid it if we have to.”
Joe had shrugged in response, yielding to Bill’s reasoning. The likelihood they’d actually encounter the bear face-to-face was slim, given the vast valley they were in. And they did have the binoculars.
But, occupied with the world around them, its beauty, grandeur and endless points of interest, in short order, both Bill and Joe forgot about the bear.
And now, here it was, only yards away and closing. Bill was cursing himself for not keeping an eye on the massive creature. It was enormous! How could he have lost track of it?! And now the bear was looking right at him, very still, very focused.
“Psst!” Joe hissed at Bill from a thick branch about ten feet up a towering conifer. “Up here! It’s too big to climb very far. Quick! Give me your hand! I’ll pull you up!”
Bill stood, heedless of Joe’s words, transfixed by the bear thumping toward him. Smashing through bushes and saplings, their leaves and branches scattering in a shower of debris to either side of it, heavy clods of mud and grass flung into the air by its massive claws, the bear charged straight at Bill.
“Bill!” Joe screamed, “Take my hand! Take my hand!”
He couldn’t look away. His mind caught by the sight of the terrible roaring danger, his thoughts narrowed to the sights and sounds of the fanged doom rushing toward him, his attention bound by the horror lunging for his throat, Bill was oblivious to the escape offered to him by Joe.
Tears coursed down Joe’s face as he scrambled to the topmost branches of the tree, agonized sobbing shaking his body. He could hear the grizzly crashing away through the underbrush with its meal. Why had Bill just stood there? Why? He could have escaped! Why didn’t Bill take his hand?
The bear knew why. Many were the animals he had caught, frozen in fear at his approach. Fear was a weapon, he knew, as effective as his claws and teeth; fear mesmerized and paralyzed his prey; fear could blind his prey to avenues of escape – but only so long as he could keep his prey fixed on him. From long experience, he knew not to chase after any prey that looked away from him as he charged. They were sure to flee and it was just too much effort shifting his massive bulk in pursuit. He knew he could always find easier prey, creatures that could be trapped by fear. Like the one he was enjoying right now.
____
Fear is a trap. It seizes our attention and, as we focus on it, begins to grow until it blocks out everything else. For the believer, however, escape from fear is always right at hand, offered to the believer in the Person of the Holy Spirit, who will "never leave nor forsake" them (Hebrews 13:5-6) and in whom power far, far, far greater than their greatest fear resides. The peace he is, the peace of Christ, fills every child of God who has humbled themselves under God's mighty hand (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:6; Romans 12:1), submitting to the control of the Holy Spirit, and walking in a settled confidence in God's incredible love for them.
1 John 4:16-19
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
