M.B.B.

Harry Lance was a photographer. He took pictures of anything that he could see through his lens. But the thing he liked to take pictures of the most were animals. In 1931, he was working for the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, who sent him and a party of men to Alaska to do research. Now the thing Henry most wanted to do, was to photograph brown bears in their natural home. What better place could he find than Alaska? There are lots of big brown bears in Alaska.

So, Harry decided to take a side trip to one of the feeding grounds where the bears came to eat. The guide for the Alaskan party, however, told Harry not to go alone, because it was dangerous. And, if he went at all, to always have a fire built to keep the bears away. Harry told himself that the guide was exaggerating, and he wanted to get his bear pictures no matter what.

So, Harry quietly slipped away one night to find his bears and take photos. He went alone. He didn't make a fire. How stupid, you say. Didn't he hear what the guide said? Yes. Harry did hear the guide. He was being like the "ungodly" man in Psalm 1, who refuses to listen to God, because he thinks his way is better. Be careful that you are not ignoring God's word, and make sure you listen to what the Bible teaches about salvation. Otherwise you are also in that list of people God calls "ungodly."

To return to Harry: He had been sleeping in his blanket for a little over an hour, when he heard a noise like a stick breaking. He sat up, scared, and tried to see what was going on. Suddenly he heard two bear cubs cry out in fright for their mother. Too bad for Harry that their mother heard them, and was a huge brown bear. She came toward Harry in a rage, thinking that he had harmed her cubs. Harry knew he was in for it, so he grabbed his gun and stood his ground. There was nowhere he could run. As she crashed into him, he pulled the trigger and shot the gun. The bear stumbled, grunted, and flattened Harry to the ground with a huge paw. Just when Harry thought he was a goner, the bear let go of him and staggered away. Harry waded back to the main camp; hurt, cold and scared, but alive.

What a risk Harry took with his life! If he had listened to his guide like the other men in the party, he would have been fine. Instead he went out and did what he thought was okay. He went his own way. Harry was just like some of you are, ignoring the warnings that God has given in the Bible. Isaiah says, "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way." (Isa. 53:6)

Are you taking a chance with your life? The Bible says that none of us are sure of tomorrow. Are you going to keep doing your own thing anyway? Harry did, and he paid the price. To obey God is even more important than obeying a guide, though, because it means you will be saved not only in this life, but for eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven to die for you. Will you listen to God and take the Lord as your Savior? Otherwise you may end up not just hurt like Harry was, but lost forever.

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