He Did What?

TITLE: He did what?
DATE: November 16, 2018
TEXT: John 3:16 (ESV) - “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
​
Every once-in-a-while I come across a story and feel compelled to ask, “He did what?!?”

The story of David Fulghum of Oviedo, Florida is one of those stories. It begins on a Monday morning this past October. David was getting for work when he happened to spot something in his backyard; something he had never seen there before. It was a bear and her two-yearling cubs. David called his wife and together they watched nature’s show for a while.
​
When it was time to go David went to the door and opened it a crack to see if the coast was clear. It was then that Gator, the family’s 7-year-old Yorkie-Bichon, took off after the trespassers who not only outnumbered him, but outweighed him many times over.

Gator raced around the corner with his master, David, a few yards behind.

This is what David said happened next: "I booked it around the corner there and all of a sudden the bear is standing there with my dog in its mouth." David said his fighting instincts came to the fore and, he went airborne and “dropkicked [the bear]. (The bear] spun around, stood up on two legs, and hopped back down on four legs."

"He wasn't getting my dog, so I kicked the living (insert the name of the place where the devil lives here) out of that bear,. The bear dropped Gator, David snatched him up and ran into the house, and safety.

Now, aren’t you the least little bit inclined to say, “He did what?” Maybe you prefer to ask, “Just why would a man put his life at risk for a dog?” Although I am a great dog lover, I am not ready to get into a bare-knuckle battle with a black bear. Unless…. unless I had a reason as good as David’s.

David explained: “(Gator was) my therapy dog once we lost our son last year, and he's been there for me so I'm going to be there for him.” And Gator? Gator underwent surgery and is going to recover.

“He did what?

That’s also a suitable reaction to anyone who hears THE SAVIOR’S STORY for the first time. Consider, humanity’s story begins with a perfect couple who had been gifted a perfect Garden by a perfect God with whom they had a perfect relationship.

All this they threw away when they fell victim to Satan’s temptation to sin. In a moment everything was corrupted and perfection was a mere memory. Looking down upon us the Lord saw us in a position not unlike David’s dog, Gator. We were caught and we were going to die. There was nothing we could do to save ourselves.

Now David had a logical reason why he wanted to save his dog. But the Lord had no such reason compelling Him to rescue fallen humankind. No there was no reason: unless….unless He were a God of love, mercy and grace. All of which He most certainly is.
​
And so it came to pass that the Lord promised to send His Son into this world to take our place. (This is where we all ought to say “He did what?”) This Jesus would do by living a perfect life, fulfilling the law, resisting temptation and conquering death.

And now, because Jesus has done all that, those who believe n Him have been redeemed and rescued.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord the Gift of Your Son is a gift beyond anything we could hope for. May we value what He has done, and, when possible, share His story with others. This I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Ben Hooper for the UPI on October 30, 2018. Those who wish to reference those articles may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/10/30/Florida-man-kicks-bear-to-rescue-small-dog/1761540916280/