Have you ever met a bear up close, with no fence in between to protect you? Well, I have, and I’ll tell you, it was rather scary!
A group of us had taken a day hike up a forested canyon near the Teton Mountains in Wyoming. After lunch most of the group headed back down, but the rest of us decided to hike on to the top. The men and boys were soon far ahead up the trail, leaving four of us girls to follow.
It was a beautiful September day and the trail was close to a stream. As we walked along we enjoyed the fresh pine-scented air and the many different bird songs.
Suddenly, Wendy, who was in the lead, ran back to us whispering, “There’s a bear ahead!” We looked to where she pointed, and sure enough, about 60 feet away there was a big black bear. He was standing in the middle of huckleberry bushes looking right at us. Now he had probably been enjoying a feast of nice ripe berries and didn’t like being interrupted, for he stood his ground and didn’t run away. We decided it would be a good idea for us to get out of there! We carefully crept behind the trees for a short distance. Then we ran up the switchback trail as fast as we could until we were sure that we were far away from the bear. As we stopped to catch our breath, we thanked the Lord Jesus for protecting us.
After a short rest, Wendy and Kristen were ready to go on to the top, but Elaine and I decided to stay by the stream and wait for them on their way back down.
We watched little dipper birds near the water and the eagles spiraling up by the peaks until, suddenly, we noticed the sun was soon ready to dip behind the mountains. The girls still had not come back down the trail, and since we were five or six miles from the car, we started back. But, you know, those woods looked rather shadowy, and we thought about the bear we had seen on the way up.
What would you do if you were alone in the woods and a little afraid? We decided to tell the Lord Jesus about our fear and ask Him to help us know what to do. Was that a wise decision? Yes, it was, because He promises in the Bible, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.” Psalm 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15). I am so glad that the Lord Jesus Christ has washed all my sins away with His precious blood, so that now I belong to Him, and I know He hears my prayers.
Just as the two of us finished praying, we heard rocks clattering up the trail. We knew something big was coming! We weren’t sure what to do when, around the bushes came two horses with riders. We asked the men if they had seen our group up the trail, but they said no one else was up there. Then they offered us a ride back down the mountain.
What a speedy answer to prayer that was! It reminded me of a verse in Isaiah 65:2424And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24), “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” As we trotted down the trail on horseback, I thanked the Lord Jesus for seeing our need and sending those men so quickly. We were soon back at the car and found everyone else there, including Wendy and Kristen. We were all glad that our adventure ended safely.
If you belong to the Lord Jesus, He promises to help you in any circumstance. “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.” Proverbs 14:2626In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. (Proverbs 14:26). Do you belong to Him? Have your sins been washed away in His blood shed on Calvary’s cross?
ML-09/25/1994