Faithful Obedience

FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” - John 14:21.

Our dog, Luigi, is a furry, comical beast with four lightning-fast legs. Bred to herd, he loves to run.  And while he is generally eager to please, he also has a rebellious streak.

When he is close and he can hear and see me, I can give him a command, and he will be eager to obey and receive a reward.  When I am out of sight, however, all bets are off.

Living in the country, there are times he will run after a deer or turkey, and momentarily be out of sight. That distance transforms our normally obedient boy into a rebel.

The distance combined with nature, can tempt him beyond his ability to resist.  In those moments, when I call Him, I can almost see the wheels turning in his head, as he considers his options.

Luigi is so precious to me.  He doesn’t understand that I am aware of dangers in the country that he cannot see. He does not understand that my motivation is to protect him and to be able to reward good behavior.  He only sees me as a roadblock to indulging his urges.

Were he faithfully obedient, I would allow him to run free, because I could trust him to quickly respond when I called.  But his rebellion leads to the confinement of the dog yard to do his business, instead of free access to our six acres.  I wish I could make him understand.

Disobedience leads to confinement, but obedience leads to freedom.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. “ - Psalm 91:14

I see that same rebellious streak in me.  The Lord gives me direction, and I initially obey, but with time I can lose sight of Him.  My faithful obedience can decay to tentative testing and finally rebellion.

The Lord is the perfect Father.  We may not understand the reasoning behind His commands, but they consistently come from love and are intended for our blessing and protection (1 Cor 13:4-7).

Father, Your Word says that if we love You, we will obey You.  Show us how to grow the love in our hearts for You, so we will faithfully obey.  Help us to keep our eyes on You, and to turn away from what tempts us.  Strengthen our self control to say “No” to our flesh, but “Yes” to You, so we can enjoy the blessings and freedom that come as rewards of obedience.

Thank You for Your patience when we stray, and that You discipline us, not out of spite, but love (Heb 12:6). We want to change, Lord. Change our hearts, and exchange our penchant to chase after desires of our flesh with a passionate desire to pursue You.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

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