“Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.”  Ephesians 5:6  NLT

Famous decided to help today while I tended to some landscaping. He has a keen eye when it comes to supervision! I had gotten well into the mulching when he started barking, forcing me to see why he was on alert. There it was. He had found one of the boards in the fence which had fallen. He was proud of his discovery, and he wagged his tail in approval of me arriving on the scene so promptly. I returned to my work. Then ten minutes later I heard him again. What was it this time? I returned to find him twelve feet up the fence line barking at yet another board. Yes, this one had fallen as well and deserved my prompt attention. He continued going around the yard alerting me of the fallen boards until I had propped all of them up back in place.

God warns us against a life that is not filled with love. For if it is not filled with love, it will instead be filled with sin. Others who do not know God’s love will try to deceive us and distract us from the work God has given us to do. We should hold fast to what we know to be true and not listen to those who spread lies and deceit.

Lead me in truth, O Lord, and grant me an obedient heart. 

FRIDAY FUN DOG FACT: 

A Beatles hit. It’s rumored that, at the end of the Beatles song, “A Day in the Life,” Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland Sheepdog.

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”  Galatians 5:13  NLT

Our walk was different tonight. Rather than plan our route, I let Famous lead the whole way. I was tired of making decisions all day, so I decided to allow Famous to decide where we would go and how long we would walk. He chose familiar streets and sidewalks. Several times I could have directed us closer to home, but instead I followed him in a long circle through the neighborhood. The only time I directed him was when we crossed streets with traffic. It was a wonderful walk. And whether he was tired, or bored, or hungry, or satisfied, he eventually led us home. He was free to choose, but I felt a freedom from choice.

Many do not know the freedom Christ brings to us. Rather, they believe they are free from the chains of the bonds of religion, free to choose as they see best. But just as the freedom exercised by Famous today could have resulted in injury or death had I not guided him across dangerous roads, so is the soul that chooses to ignore God’s direction.

Show me the place where I may choose to serve those around me in Your name.

“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.”  Proverbs 20:12  ESV

Dogs have the capacity to look us directly in the eye. Perhaps this is part of the early connection between people and canines. Famous has always watched me, positioning himself in a spot where he could see me coming and going. He will climb to the highest step or lay down on the highest knoll to get maximum visibility. He wants to know where I am and if anything is approaching which could harm or threaten us.

It makes sense, now that he has hearing loss, for him to spend more time watching me–not just seeing where I am, but also watching my face for communication. I have noticed when we walk together he will look directly into my face to see if I am directing him to turn or to let him know I have spotted something of interest. I will also make the effort to face him directly and speak louder for him to try to understand. Plus, he is learning new hand signals for ordinary words such as eat and walk. But it is that point of communication when we see each other which lets us both know there is someone important who matters.

God desires to both communicate with us and delight our senses with his creation. He watches over us, and He asks that we listen and watch for his direction.

Your loving care for us reminds us of Your presence each and every day.

Walking past a veterinary clinic, a woman noticed a small boy and his dog waiting outside. “Are you here to see Dr. Meyer?” she asked. “Yes,” the boy said. “I’m having my dog put in neutral.”

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD . I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.'”  Exodus 6:6  NLT

It has become a habit of mine, on days when I am home and weather permits, to keep the back door open which leads to our deck. Famous has a “doggie door” built into the screen door so he can go in and out as he pleases. I find he usually prefers to be outdoors as long as he can get back in to check on me. This liberty I give to him is still safe, and it allows him to take in the sounds and smells of the yard and nearby woods. I enjoy joining him outdoors when I can. But even if he lounges there while I rush to get ready for work, we are both grateful for the independence his little door brings.

There are many oppressions in the world today–poverty, bigotry, slavery, and exploitation to name a few. God sees all that enslaves us, and He is willing and capable of delivering us from bondage from sin and from these human imprisonments. But we must be willing to obey him as Moses did. And though we may hesitate as Moses did in the beginning, we ultimately must trust the Lord if we seek to be free.

Give me confidence to follow You today, O God, out of my bondage. 

“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.”  I Timothy 6:12  NLT

“We’re almost done!” These are words Famous must love to hear. They mean that whatever I am making him do is almost over. It can be trimming his paws or drying him off after a bath. And I believe it gives him a bit more patience to sit while I am finishing. (Either that or he knows that a treat for being good is coming soon!)

God asks endurance from most of us. Usually, this is because we cannot see his great plan or else our “sufferings” would be done with great joy. Still, his Spirit is a comfort when we feel we cannot go on, and our victories serve to remind us we are not alone.

Help me today to rely on the encouragement You have sent me over and over again.

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”  II Corinthians 4:6  NLT

It would be hard to say whether it was I or Famous who was most happy to see the other when I arrived home from a very long day at work yesterday. He had to wait twelve hours for my car to arrive in the driveway after our clinic ran an extra couple of hours. It had surely been a very busy week, and I knew I was just happy to see him doing well when I returned. His energy seemed higher than usual as I let him guide us on a long walk and I began to let the stress of the day melt away. The sun was already low in the sky and thin clouds kept us in cool shade as we walked through streets, parking lots, and playing fields. As we climbed a little hill to access the last sidewalk that would lead us back to our development, Famous walked into a beam of sunlight that caused him to lift his head a little higher as though he had stepped into the spotlight. The sun danced on his coat and gave me another thrill of joy in his creation.

There is a lot of discussion in our world about who has God on their side and who has the better argument for decisions being made to “protect” our Christian liberties. I invariably find fault with the perspective that we have to protect what we have known, what we possess, and what we hope for the future, because I believe we are called not to worship some sort of ideal existence. This is not a promise from God–at least not in this world. God does not desire for one segment to have pride, power, or preference over another. His desire, his love, his favor is upon us all. And it is most likely to fall on those who pursue equal love, health, and life for all.

Teach me Your way of seeing those in need of Your light and love today.

“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”  Isaiah 40:28  NLT

Famous tires faster than when he was a younger dog. This is not altogether bad because I have been slowing down right beside him. He has recently passed me in our relative ages, and I realize he will show me how to move through final years on earth.

Acknowledging our frailties, our limitations, becomes an opportunity to reflect on the divine power of God. When we take the time to intentionally slow down, take a vacation, and wait upon the Lord, we connect with the everlasting, not the temporary. Just as when we see the vastness of the ocean we realize the confinement of our own yards, thinking on the Lord helps us see beyond the limitations of our human natures.

Increase my vision to know Your strength and life sustain me when my own resources begin to fail.