Two men who were good friends decided to take a trip to Western Canada. They took their cameras along in the hope that they might be able to get some good pictures of the mountain scenery, and of the wild animals that roam there.
Leaving the train, they began their tramp across the country. Soon they came upon some wild goats, peacefully grazing on the mountain side. Not far off, a baby bear was playing about. The two men stood watching for a few moments, then were startled by the sound of a crashing in the bushes nearby. They knew it was the mother bear, coming out of the woods, and they set their cameras for a picture. But when she emerged from the trees she headed straight for the men. Dropping their cameras they ran for the nearest tree, and began to climb fast as they could. One man was rather stout, and could get no farther than to hang by his hands from a lower bough.
The bear, with one swing of her big paw, reached up and knocked down the fat man, and began to tear at him with her claws. Seeing his friend in need of help, the other man quickly came down out of the tree, and picking up a big chunk of wood, he hit the bear over the head. But this only enraged the animal who now turned on the thin man, knocked him down and began clawing at him too. At this moment, though they never could tell why, the baby bear began to cry; so the mother bear left the two men on the ground and ran after her cub.
The men managed to drag themselves to where they could get help — a distance of quite a few miles. There they were cared for, and their wounds dressed.
After about three months, the thin man was able to go back to work, but his friend never recovered; he died soon after. When the thin man went back to his office, he showed his friends the long scars on his head, chest, and legs, where the bear’s claws had torn him. These scars he would carry with him for the rest pf his life.
As the man told the story of his encounter with the bear and showed us his scars, I could not but think of what the Lord Jesus did for us in a much more wonderful way. The man came down from the tree to try and save his friend but the bear was too powerful an enemy. He could not save him. The Lord Jesus in heaven looked down in pity as He saw us in the grip of Satan, and in love He came down to save. He met the full power of the devil at the cross, and by His death and glorious resurrection He defeated the great enemy of our souls. Now those who believe and trust Him as their Saviour are set free from Satan’s power. Yet the Lord Jesus will ever bear in His body the marks of His sufferings, the nail prints in His hands and the spear print in His blessed side.
ML 04/16/1967