The Bear That Came to Town

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.         

Proverbs 4:26

Last fall my husband and I spent a week in Avon, Colorado. One day while we were in a restaurant, we saw a crowd gathering outside around a crabapple tree. They were pointing toward the top of the tree and snapping pictures.

Squinting through the window, I saw the outline of something big and brown among the leaves and fruit. With the next the breeze, I got a clear view of the dark shape. It was a bear eating crabapples.

That's no Teddy Bear, folks! I thought with a jolt of fear. The people below the bear were much too close.

Apparently they thought a bear that came into town was harmless, but I have heard park rangers preach the opposite. They repeatedly warn that wild animals are always unpredictable and dangerous. I was relieved when a policeman arrived a few minutes later and moved the crowd back.

The situation with the bear reminded me of the careless way we often approach sin. We think we can cozy up to it for a while and safely back away when we're ready to leave. Not so.

An old saying sums up the reality of sin's power this way. It states: "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost more than you're willing to pay." Whoever said that knew the truth about sin.

God wants us to take sin seriously and be thoughtful as we make our choices. Proverbs 4: 26 admonishes us, Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.

We've been warned and know the danger. We should be mindful of it.

A wise woman would.

Father, may we apply Your Word in our lives and honor You.

Carol