“Oh, no, there’s a deer!”
I dropped my berries in the bucket, and looked down the path into the woods. Sure enough, there stood a gentle doe, her head lifted slightly from the grass she had been grazing, eyes staring intently upon me and my husband, John.
Our 80 pound Rottweiler, Minna, had picked up her scent. Frantically following her nose, she crisscrossed the green path several times while the doe stood statue still.
As Minna neared, that doe suddenly turned, white tail up, and bound for the woods. Minna now saw her, and took off after her.
John called in a stern voice, “Minna, no! Minna, come!”
Minna stopped. Head facing straight ahead, her eyes riveted to where the deer had disappeared, her nose sniffing. Every muscle in her body was poised for action.
“Minna come!”
Tardily, she turned toward her master. Her slow gestures exclaiming she wanted otherwise. But this obedient girl did as she was told.
John had worked extensively with her as a puppy and she had learned obedience. Obedience to him over her own desires.
She wants to please him, her master.
She obeys her master.
She probably doesn’t understand the reasons her master tells her “no” sometimes, or calls her away from enticements like darting deer or bounding bunnies, but she obeys him anyway.
She trusts him.
Witnessing her model of complete obedience; she makes me evaluate my own obedience to God.
Isaiah 50:10 challenges me, “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.” (NIV)
Fear or respect means trusting the Master. Obeying His commands even when it’s not what I want. Just like Minna, sometimes I find it hard to take my eyes off where I want to go. I need to trust when God’s commands call me away from one thing that He is calling me to something better, even if I can’t imagine anything better!
To help bring me (and maybe you) to that place of obedience, our hearts need to be fully committed to the cause. Minna knows John means business when he calls. As a puppy, she would receive treats, rewards for her obedience. Today, she receives verbal praise. Usually nothing more. And yet, she is completely committed to obeying John.
We need to fully believe that God has our best interests at heart. That standard convinces us to commit to obeying His commands. I Kings 8:61 says, “And may your hearts be committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.” (NIV) The time for that heart commitment is now, not waiting until it’s seems convenient. That is where we see our hearts. Am I ready for that commitment? When our heads agree, but our hearts lag, we can ask for His help.
Minna understands John would never hurt her. She knows he cares for her, provides for her needs, and praises her. I believe she knows he loves her. That trust is enough for her to obey him when he calls.
We don’t always understand today all the reasons for God’s rules, yet Psalm 119:34 encourages us. “Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (NIV)
The understanding we pray for may not be specific understanding at that moment of why we are to do or not to do. That understanding may well be that God is God. He is good. He loves me. Therefore, I choose to obey Him.
Each day, moment by moment, we get a choice. How will I live? What will guide my decisions? Will I reason everything by my own understanding or after prayer and time spent in Scripture, simply decide to trust and obey? It’s not an easy choice. But it has the potential to guide, guard, and grow our faith.
God promises that if we decide to “come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8, NIV) Choosing obedience is spiritually coming closer to God. He rewards obedience. We can trust He has our best interests at heart!
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes it’s hard to stop when pursuing the wrong thing. It can be hard to take my eyes off the distractions. Please guide, guard and grow my heart towards You. Help me make the best choice, each and every time. Thank You for the forgiveness for past failures, and Your help for future choices. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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