Have you ever seen a real polar bear? Many zoos will have at least one. They are huge, completely white animals that live in the Arctic regions. Much of where they normally live has been changing in recent years, because some of the ice has been thawing. This seems to have made them roam out of their normal living areas in their search for food.
In Eastern Canada, in the northern part of Newfoundland, in a village called Goose Cove, the Reardon family had an unexpected surprise at 4:30 in the morning. A polar bear broke into their home. Mr. Reardon suddenly came face to face with the bear in their kitchen! It had pushed its way through the outside kitchen door and walked right in. What a scary surprise that would be to find a live polar bear in your kitchen!
Bears can easily kill people, so they are very dangerous. One person alone cannot really fight off a hungry bear. Mr. Reardon needed some help right away with this frightening problem.
Boys and girls, what would you do? I know what I would do—pray and ask the Lord Jesus to help me and guide me. I know He will hear my prayer and help me, because I have accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour, and now I belong to Him. Here is a good verse to remember: “In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee [Jesus]: for Thou wilt answer me” (Psalm 86:77In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. (Psalm 86:7)).
We don’t know if Mr. Reardon prayed a quick prayer of help, but we do know he called his father to come, and the two men made loud noises to hopefully scare the bear away. Thankfully, their loud noises did the job, and the bear turned and went back outside through the kitchen door and lumbered off to see what it could find elsewhere. On its wanderings, this hungry bear came to a sheep farm where it found plenty to eat—one sheep, one lamb and two ducks. That was one hungry bear! We feel sorry for the farmer who lost these animals and ducks, but we are thankful it wasn’t people the bear attacked.
Meanwhile, wildlife officials had been called and arrived to help get this dangerous, 400- pound animal out of the area. It could just as easily attack and kill a person. They weren’t going to take any chances with this bear wandering around the village. They planned to tranquilize the bear and then move it far away from any villages or farms. Polar bears belong way up north, in the land of ice and snow!
I’m thankful to know that our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, is always watching and listening for the cries and prayers of those who belong to Him. 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) is a verse that encourages grown-ups and children to always trust Him, especially when we are in trouble: “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
Do you belong to the Lord Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your very own Saviour? He loves you very much and died for you on Calvary’s cross. There He shed His precious blood that can wash away your sins. You only need to tell Him that you are truly sorry for your sins and truly believe the promise of 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7): “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Once you have done that, you will belong to Him forever!
ML-01/27/2013