Christian based commentaries and observations.

Quote of Note

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation



: 'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.
:
: Amen!'
:


Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Good Servant? Part 3


If you haven't read "Good Bye Best Friend" you will not completely understand, and enjoy this post.

So what else can be learned from having had such a good dog?
I wonder if the Lord would be saying to me what a good boy?

Do I bring a smile to the face of God when he thinks or talks about me the way Grizz did? You know I am not one of those happy all the time, light up a room, make everyone feel good, bubbly type of people. When I used to talk about Grizz people would notice and say, "you're smiling"! When God bragged about Job to Satan, ( JOB 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.") I wonder if there was a smile on God's face?

Does my excitement at the presence of God mirror the enthusiasm of Grizz when I would come home? Grizz acted like it was the greatest thing in his world. The presence of God is the greatest thing in my world. Do I take that for granted?

When I sense that God has moved off, do I chase after him? When we walked the paths in the woods Grizz would sometimes wander off the path and explore. I would keep walking or jogging. I would tap on trees, along the path, with his stick, to announce my position. When he noticed I was not near by he would come running until he was right beside me again. He never wanted to be in one room if we were in another. He had to be with us. Do I always walk with God or do I wander off the path?
The Israelites camped with the Lord in the desert. They watched and waited for the cloud, or pillar of fire to lift, signaling that God was moving on. They packed up and followed. Their enemies were watching and waiting for any opportunity to to destroy them. God was their protection and provider. To not stay close meant death. Today we have whole churches and even denominations that have not kept up with the move of God or even stayed camped where they knew him. They have wandered off on their own path, made pacts with the enemy, gotten lost in the dark, can no longer hear the masters voice, and are being led to destruction.

Grizz would bark and shout out with excitement at the food that was being prepared for him. He gobbled up any morsel that was tossed his way from the counter and demand more. He knew that there was good stuff in the refrigerator. When ever it opened he was there.
Do I devour God's word, my spiritual food, with such appreciation or is is a chore and difficult to fit into my time each day. Do I look at the Bible, able to open it on my own, and take from it the "good stuff" I know is in there, with the same eagerness?

When we woke up from our sleep and came downstairs Grizz was excited and delighted. He just needed to love and be loved. His whole body shook and pranced and he would grab a sleeve, pant leg, or drawstring, and pull us to a seat for excited rubbing and loving. It always started my day with a smile and a warm heart. I always enjoyed coming home and finding him waiting, bursting with joy at my arrival. This scripture speaks volumes to loyalty and love that I learned from having had such a great dog:
PS 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

PS 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

PS 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

PS 37:6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

PS 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him
;

Much of what Grizz was, was because of how we treated and trained him. He reflected the love and joy that we gave to him. Isn't that how it is with God and his Holy Spirit in us, reflecting back the love that he is? Makes you wonder how we ever go astray, doesn't it?

The haters of God's people often call them "dogs". Soon the words "Christian Dogs" will be heard echoing around the world. I am not going to consider that an insult. A dog at the Master's feet is much better than the enemy being crushed under his feet. I'd rather be a happy and content dog, curled up on the rug, at my beloved masters feet!

1 comment:

Heather said...

Wow, powerfully written Mark. You really do have a talent for writing (and very contemplative thinking too!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts.. I agree with you- rather be a dog at the Master's feet than an enemy being crushed underfoot! Well put!