An Atheist

Preface :

I was sent this joke and after reading it and admittedly laughing out loud I suddenly felt something was wrong about it. To be honest I`m still not sure what. It seemed harmless enough but I had an urge to add the following ending written in red text and some thoughts. Give me your thoughts or like me write your own ending....

AN   ATHEIST  IN  THE   WOODS An atheist  was walking through the  woods. 'What  majestic  trees!' 'What  powerful  rivers!' 'What  beautiful  animals!' He  said to  himself. As  he was walking alongside the river, he heard a  rustling in the bushes behind  him. He  turned to look.  He saw a 7-foot grizzly  bear charge towards  him. He ran as  fast as he could up the path.  He looked  over his shoulder & saw that the bear was  closing in on him. He  looked over his shoulder again, & the bear  was even  closer. He  tripped & fell on the  ground. He  rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the  bear was right on top of him, reaching for him  with his left paw & raising his right paw to  strike him. At that  instant moment, the Atheist cried  out: 'Oh my  God!' Time  stopped. The  bear  froze. The  forest was  silent. As  a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came  out of the  sky. 'You  deny my existence for all these years, teach  others I don't exist and even credit creation to  cosmic  accident.' 'Do  you expect me to help you out of this  predicament?' 'Am  I to count you as a  believer?' The  atheist looked directly into the light, and  said: 'It would be hypocritical of me to  suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now,  but perhaps you could make  the BEAR a  Christian?' 'Very  well', said the  voice. The  light went out.  The sounds of the forest  resumed.  And the bear dropped his right  paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head  & spoke: 'Lord  bless this food, which I am about to receive  from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord,  Amen.' ---------------------------- Horrified the Atheist froze expecting the worst. The bear rose up and as the man closed his eyes he felt the bears hot breath on his face and then the rub of its fur on his side.  As he realized that the bear had moved past him he opened his eyes and turned. He saw a young lamb caught up in a thicket. The bear was looking at it and quickly moved in for the kill and then moved on. The Atheist shook his head in disbelief but felt the glory of God's grace fill his heart. Overcome with joy he wondered why God had chosen a lamb, why the bear had taken the lamb instead of him and for what purpose God had so graciously spared his life. He had so many questions.... Every day I face the bear too and like the Atheist feel awkward about calling on God based on my record of past and present behavior. You know... all my failings to act like I feel a "Christian" should. Even though I know that behavior is not God's criteria for son ship I find myself falling back on legalistic thinking like this Atheist. It is so much easier to expect punitive measures to follow when I fail then it is to expect grace.  Why is that so when God's grace is always bigger than the bears in our lives and we know that to be truth... 2 Corinthians 12:9a"My grace is sufficient for you" Perhaps it falls more into the arena of faith as we are told in Eph 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" Perhaps all we need to do is focus more on faith instead of the bear letting a new paradigm shift take place in our hearts and minds. Philippians 3:15 "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you There is a power released inside of our hearts when we finally realize that God is for us and not against us regardless of our behavior... Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, No matter how far our behavior takes us God is always waiting for us with arms out stretched like a parent watching a toddlers first steps. I always thought He was ready to scold me for failing to perform to some standard of perfection. Like the prodigal son little did I know how much my father loved and approved of me period. Luke 15: 20b" But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. He`d rather that we stay in His arms always but lets us go of our own free will and experience the bears that trying to live out of our own resources bring on us. If we would only stop and think like the prodigal son did and consider our predicament we would realize that we are out on our own up against the bears. Thats not the way God intended for us to live. Rather He intended for us to be in His arms living out of His all sufficient grace. Luke 15:22-24"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Imagine if you will the bears of your life not moving towards you but towards the Lamb slain before the foundation of time as you rest in your fathers embrace. Not a lamb caught in a thicket now but a glorious risen from the dead lamb called Jesus who has triumphed over all bears including yours.This is the mental picture that all Gods children can enjoy if they will cast off the yoke of legalism and put on the yoke of freedom that partners us with God and releases us to expect and receive all He has for us.   Matthew11:28-30"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest  29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light