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Resting Bear
R E F L E C T I O N S
Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 12/27/21
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"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of
God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested
from his works as God did from his." - Heb. 4:9-10
If the proverb, "Let sleeping dogs lie" holds true for dogs, it is probably a good idea to apply this advice to resting bears as well. At least that was my conclusion when I came across this black bear taking it easy in a meadow in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. A quick photograph and a quiet retreat seemed like a wise thing to do. Most creatures in the natural world seem to value resting. Their lives revolve around periods of concentrated activity followed by longer periods of rest. It is something they make time for and we humans do not. In the increasing chaos of modern life we have sacrificed rest, meditation, and contemplation upon the altar we have mislabeled as success. What we fail to realize is that what we have sacrificed is a part of ourselves. God rested after his work of creation not because he was tired but because he desired to take time to enjoy what he had made. The Sabbath was ordained by God because rest was a blessing God wanted his creation to enjoy. And for those who have put their trust in him, there is an even greater rest promised, a rest from our futile efforts to work our way to God, a rest in the one who, out of love, has condescended to rescue us from ourselves. Resting in him is true rest indeed for it means that all we should have been and all that we should have done has already been perfectly done for us by the one who represents us before our Father. We are accepted because he was accepted in our place. And, who knows, maybe someday when he comes to restore all things to what they once were, we will be able to walk up to a resting bear like this one and lie down beside him to enjoy the warmth our Creator has provided for both of us us in his presence. That will be the end of hostility between man and nature. That will be rest indeed. - John
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