“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” ~ Proverbs 26:11
God can teach us about ourselves from the most unlikely sources. In the book of Hosea God depicts the unfaithfulness and obstinacy of Israel through the life of Gomer, the prophet’s promiscuous wife. Though Gomer continues to go her own way God remains faithful and we can never outrun or exhaust His redeeming love. God used Gomer to teach Israel; yesterday God used my dog.
I am a dog owner, but not by choice. When my children were young they were a little skittish around animals. My wife shared this aversion to dogs and for good reason. When she was 18 and about to enter her freshman year of college she was attacked by a large dog as she walked through the town where she grew up. She still has the long faded scars as a constant reminder, but she didn’t want our children to grow up with a fear of dogs, so we went out and purchased a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. It has been a love-hate relationship ever since.
Most days my dog is fun to have around, but other times he is constantly under foot. He can be found standing in the middle of doorways, hallways or the very spot we need to be to prepare meals making a general nuisance of himself. He will mind me because he knows I am the alpha male in the house and I won’t put up with his shenanigans. When I call him to come in he listens to me, but he will ignore my wife and can be generally disrespectful to her. He loves me and knows not to cross me. My oldest daughter babies him and he knows she is the weakest link when food is involved. She lets him get on her bed, sneaks him “human” food (which the vet says is bad), and lets him on the couch. All of these things he does not get to do unless she is home from college. When she is home the rest of us cease to exist and he makes a beeline for her the minute she walks in the door.
As I was standing in front of the kitchen sink yesterday to wash a few dishes God used our dog to teach me a spiritual lesson. I work in a home office and most days when I am by myself the dog has to keep within 3 to 5 feet of me. If I get up and go to another room he fellows me, and yesterday was no exception. He came in the kitchen, plopped himself down next to me to take a nap. At those times when he is close to me he finds his greatest peace and contentment in my shadow.
Other times he ignores me completely and usually at those times he is pouting because I have not taken him with me outside or not given him part of my meal. He will ignore me completely unless he wants something from me, and then he is demanding. If he needs (or thinks he needs) to go outside, be fed, be stroked he paces back and forth, looks at me and then at what he wants with an impatient look. He grunts, groans and pleads for immediate satisfaction. When he pouts he retreats to his kennel or when we make eye contact he looks away in disdain. But the minute the pantry, microwave, oven or refrigerator door opens he is out in a flash to look for what he thinks he deserves.
He hates baths and has an almost psychotic aversion to water. When it is time to get clean you can see the panic in his eyes and he cannot wait for it to be over. If it is raining outside you can forget trying to make him go out in it. If the grass is wet you would think you were asking him to walk on hot coals or broken glass. He is quite a pansy when conditions are not perfect.
And like all dogs he is great at making messes and of course we have to clean them up. He sheds constantly and leaves piles of hair everywhere. He knows he is not supposed to get into the small waste basket by my desk and eat paper, but periodically I will come home and as I walk in the door he slinks to his kennel. As I walk to my desk I see shredded paper and other items on the floor leaving a trail to where he has been.
It stuck me that my dog is a pretty good picture of our (my) relationship with God. We know He is the Master and the supreme authority that we must acknowledge and obey. Yet more times than we care to admit we ignore Him or His Word, or worse yet when the world or sin is around we run after it and “enjoy” our season of indulgence and pleasure even when it is bad for us. We want our “needs” and our desires to be met and we plot and plan how we can get what we think we need.
We approach God based on our time table and expect our demands to be met; and if not we whine, groan, grunt and plead. After those seasons of blessings from God we retreat back to our spiritless solitude and follow our own agenda till the next time we want something. If other people are being blessed from God’s “pantry” and bounty and we feel He has left us out do we get jealous or pout because we didn’t receive anything.
When God through the Holy Spirit tries to cleanse us with His Word are we willing and open to a “spiritual bath” or do we panic and try to escape? The Holy Spirit speaks to us and we cannot wait for it to get over and get on with our own agenda. Or when conditions are hard and uncomfortable and we feel the chastening of the Lord are we obstinate and try to avoid discomfort?
Do we create messes everywhere in our life or are we disobedience and get into the “waste” this world has to offer and then expect God to come in and clean up after us? And even after He has graciously done so, do we keep on making mess after mess? Why don’t we find our complete satisfaction and constant peace and tranquility in God’s shadow and in constant communion with Him? Those are the times we love best yet we live our lives as fickle dogs chasing anything than what is best.
Like I said; God can teach us about ourselves from the most unlikely sources. Solomon’s wisdom speaks volumes…we are great at repeating our dog-like folly.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” ~ Psalm 139:23-24
No comments:
Post a Comment