Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

June 24, 2010
Freedom from Addiction
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12: 1-2

Have you ever met someone you thought was beyond God's reach? Someone whose life has sunk to such depths all seems hopeless? Most of us can think of people we've encountered like that. It may even be someone we love.

When we start to lose hope for another's soul, it's good to remind ourselves that some of the greatest Christian Saints were some of the most broken people. This week, in my search for Christian heroes, I encountered the story of one such person that did not resemble the perfect stained-glass images I grew up with. His name was Matthew Talbot, and here's a glimpse into his life.

The second of 13 children, Matthew was born in Dublin, Ireland on May 2, 1856. His family was poor and heavy drinking was the norm among his father and brothers. So from the start, Matthew was predisposed to alcoholism -- and sure enough, his drinking began at age 12.

As Matthew entered his teen years, odd jobs led way to a career working with bricklayers. While the local community considered him excellent at his trade, his drinking became central to his life. By the time his twenties arrived, it was common for Matthew to spend all his earned wages obtaining alcohol. When that wasn't enough, he began selling his possessions and eventually resorted to credit. Finally, after racking up too much debt, he sunk to an all-time low: stealing.

Not only was Matthew a heavy drinker-turned-thief, but he had a terrible temper and a vulgar tongue. Gripped by his disease and his poor choices, Matthew's life was going nowhere. His mother, Elizabeth, pleaded with him to change his ways. Finally, Matthew's life sunk so low he had no earthly place to turn.

So, in 1884, Matthew's mother received an answer to her prayers. The 28-year-old went to the only place left to go: Church. There, he confessed his sins and took a pledge to avoid drinking for 3 months. He seemed an unlikely candidate to keep the pledge. Yet Matthew had experienced an interior conversion in that church.

Three months passed, and he was still sober. Inspired by his progress, he pledged to avoid drinking for life and also gave up tobacco.

While Matthew's first several years of sobriety consisted of intense, interior battles, he lived the rest of his life with unwavering devotion to God. The once angry, vulgar Irishman became kind to those he encountered, and he paid back all his debts. He lived simply, prayed daily, and served those in need, eventually taking monastic vows.

Mathew Talbot died at age 69 while walking to church. He had been sober for 41 years.

Matthew's story is a testament to God's transforming power as well as our participation in that transformation. A tearful mother pleaded, a broken young man made a decision to change, and God poured out His graces. It's also worth noting that Matthew, with the help of his pastor, employed many of the same steps later incorporated into the Alcoholic's Anonymous 12-Step program. While he wasn't healed overnight, Matthew Talbot eventually experienced new life, giving hope to those battling addictions and the people who love them.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Devote your quiet time this week to praying for the "impossible cases," especially those in the throws of addiction. 

Further Reading:

Matthew 14:34-36
Myths and Facts about Alcohol Consumption
(Details of Matthew Talbot's life obtained from "The Venerable Matthew Talbot" http://www.savior.org/saints/talbot.htm and the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center: http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/)


 

[Judy Harder]

June 25, 2010

Elbows & Ears
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.
Exodus 6:6

Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

Once, when my son was just shy of three, he informed his mother he was drawing a picture of God.

"What does God look like?" she asked.

"Well, I put some elbows and some ears," he replied, and he went back to his work.

I was told that story when I came home from work. Cute, I thought. Not exactly as awe-inspiring as Ezekiel's vision, but sounds like a weird picture. Where is the face?

The face of the Lord is not one you could look upon (Exodus 33:12-23), came the voice inside my head.

Where are the hands and feet?

That's you.

Oh yeah, that's true...

So elbows and ears, huh?

Well, I guess God does reach us, and move us, and push us, and hold up the light to our paths. As Wayne Watson sang, "No one in this world can slip beyond the reaches of the long arm of the Lord."

And I know he hears us. He created us for fellowship. He desires praise and prayer. He's absolutely listening. He can even hear things we don't even know we're saying. As Steven Curtis Chapman sang, "The cross should have been mine, But His love broke through time, And heard my heart's cry."

So in one statement about one drawing by one child, I had digested a complete meditation on the nature of God, who He is and what He does, even what He leaves for us to do. As Casting Crowns sang, "If we are the body... Why aren't His hands healing... Why aren't His feet going?"

Intersecting Faith & Life: Consider today what part of the body you are playing, and what other parts (eyes, mouth, shoulders, etc.) describe what you know about the character of your God.

Further Reading

Video: "Proof" Most of us have thought how much easier it would be to follow God if we could just see Him once. The truth, though, is that He is all around us...
Matthew 5:8

[Judy Harder]

June 28, 2010

P.S. I Love You... Period.
by Meghan Kleppinger

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16


"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

Okay - I admit it. Initially, it was difficult for me to understand that God loved me, and that He sent His son to die for my sins, and that He cared about the most intimate details of my life.

I was nearly nine years old when I accepted Christ. My mother was a new believer and our family became her mission field. She would read stories from the Bible and Christian biographies at night to her three girls.

I shared a bedroom with my older sister, a preteen, so we had different bedtimes. One night, when I was supposed to be asleep, I listened with eyes closed as my mother shared a story with my sister. It was the biography of a lonely teenage girl who turned to witchcraft as a means of finding acceptance, and only after a lot of prayer from a friend did she turn to Christ.

As I listened to the story unfold, I recognized the loneliness this girl felt, as well as her need for a Savior. That night I prayed to receive Christ as my personal Savior. In Jesus, I discovered, I would have a forever friend, something I desperately longed for as a frequently uprooted military kid.

The next day, as I thought about telling my mother of my conversion, I was afraid that she would be upset with me... after all, she was reading to my older sister and the story wasn't meant for me.

Needless to say, she was far from upset, but for a long time I could not shake the feeling that I was an add-on. What I mean is that I felt like God extended His grace to me because I happened to be here with all of the people He really loved. It was sort of like He was saying, "I love all of my creation... oh, and P.S. Meghan, since you're here I might as well love you too." The funny thing is that I was okay with being a tag-along as long as it meant I was saved and got to have Jesus for a friend.

I'm not sure if it was time, experience, spiritual maturity, or all three, but slowly I began to understand that God loved me, period, and not just too or in addition to.... Through scripture, I learned and came to accept the most amazing thing of all, that He would have sent Jesus if I were the only person left on earth!

As an adult who has grasped this truth, my heart is burdened as I consider how many people have a hard time believing that Jesus loves them.

We live in a hurting world full of people desperate to know that someone loves them and cares. A recent study showed that an overwhelming number of Americans feel they have no one to confide in.

As believers, we know a loving God who does listen, plays an active role in our lives and will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:. We know a compassionate God who delights in His children (Nehemiah 9:17). We know a God who understands our pain and holds every tear we've cried (Psalm 56:. We know a God who sent His son to live and die so we might live (John 3:16).

We know our Father and of His eternal love.

But do they?

Let us live our lives in such a way that not only reflects His love for us, but shows others that they are undeniably and wholly cherished by the Creator of the universe who calls them His beloved... period.

Intersecting Faith & Life: John really put it well when he wrote, "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4: 9-11).

Further Reading

God Loves His Children
God's Power to Heal You from the Inside Out

[Judy Harder]

June 29, 2010

When We're Wronged
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Heb 4: 12-13

She was pretty, charming, and funny. She appeared to be everything you could want in a woman. And she was after my man. With full knowledge of our relationship, this young woman zeroed in on my special someone. All while acting sweet as pie towards me.

There are few things in life that can turn an otherwise sane, amiable woman into fire-breathing, green-eyed, insecure monster - and another woman moving in on your guy is definitely one of those things.

How. Dare. She.

It's by God's grace that in my hot-blooded state I - did nothing. Oh, I still had plans to dislike this woman for a very long time. I dreamt up all sorts of scenarios where I wittily drew back the curtain on her true intentions. Where I triumphantly shamed her. But of course, I was too "virtuous" to actually follow through on such things. So, I managed to exert enough self control to avoid a regretful exchange.

Thankfully, God took this situation one step deeper by expanding my limited sense of virtue. I'd read about forgiveness, but this was a moment in my life where God clearly set a choice before me: She was wrong. I was right. Now - was I going to forgive her? Or was I simply going to look like I'd forgiven her?

One of the key aspects of Jesus' earthly ministry was His focus on that which is unseen - our hearts. This took many of his contemporaries by surprise. They were expecting an earthly king to save them from external problems. Yet Christ made it clear He came to elevate the old law beyond its legal purposes, and transform us from the inside out to prepare us for a kingdom not of this world.

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Mt 5: 43-45)

Love your enemies. It sounds downright impossible. Yet God impressed two courses of action on my heart during that time that transformed my anger into Christ-like love.

First, although there really wasn't a productive opportunity to speak with this woman, every time I mentally began hopping down the angry bunny trail, I said, "God, I forgive her." Verbally expressing forgiveness diffused my anger, and helped me focus on God and His grace.

Second, as Christ asks of us in the Scripture above, I began praying for her. At first, my prayers came through gritted teeth, and teetered dangerously close to sounding something like, "Lord, smite my foe..." But after praying for her almost every day for several months, the Lord transformed my heart. I began to see this woman as God sees her. Truly, whatever brokenness inside her that led her to act in such a manner saddened God more than it could ever anger me.

I also became acutely aware that I, in my brokenness, had saddened God too. Suddenly, this woman wasn't my opponent, but a fellow sinner in need of grace and transforming love. Ultimately, this situation worked out for the best, and I ended up liking this individual.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...

Forgiveness doesn't usually come easily. People are capable of tremendous evil far beyond my petty situation above, and depending on the wrong done, we may never realistically like a person. But with God's grace, forgiveness on our end is not only possible, but necessary.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Forgiveness involves letting go and allowing God to bring good out of a situation in His timing. Do you have unresolved hurts inflicted by another person? Entrust your hurts to God, and then ask God for a heart of forgiveness. If you've harmed another, take action to make things right

Further Reading

Mt. 5: 21-24
Life's Most Important Choice
Is Adultery Forgivable?

[Judy Harder]

June 30, 2010
"I Have Confidence!"
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

  "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but of those who believe and are saved."
Hebrews 10:38


One of my favorite moments in "The Sound of Music" comes when Maria's perky "I Have Confidence" song suddenly ends at the sight of the Von Trapp mansion. She gulps and just manages to squeak, "Oh, help."

This last week presented me with some similar moments, as my husband David and I got off the proverbial bus and discovered this road led to a rather different place than we'd expected. We knew we were following God's leading, thanks to the peace He'd given us so far. But seeing that great big house - a rather different opportunity than we had expected - made us gulp and wonder if we were in over our heads. For a day, we were stuck. Unsure about walking through that gate, we thought about continuing along the road and looking for a not-so-huge opportunity to trust God. 

As we surveyed our options, we pondered what it means to take a "step of faith." We've never heard of someone taking a step backward in faith, we realized. We were confident that the Lord would direct us to the right place, and apparently this gate we need to walk through. The final push came from Hebrews 10:35, as the author writes, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." Confidence? "Oh, help."

God must chuckle when we go bug-eyed at His plans. I'm like Maria as she stands before that gate, wondering how she'll manage when this place so little resembles what she anticipated. Thankfully, the confidence to take the step of faith lies not "in me," but in knowing that God has led me to my destination. The Lord answers my cries of "oh, help!" with ultimate peace and a taste of what He has planned just beyond the bend.

The apostle Paul knew how to strip away the fears and insecurities and see the essentials. Paul visited some incredible places, and had some incredible adventures on his missionary journey. I'm sure that very little could surprise him by the end of his lifetime. Yet he wrote to the Corinthian church that even in his vast experience, nothing kept him going forward except God's calling (2 Cor. 3:5). The confidence to carry out his mission came from knowing who sent him and who directed his steps. He had seen God work, and knew that the Lord would provide everything necessary, including the confidence to walk forward.

Intersecting Faith & Life: In Jeremiah 29:11, God says simply, "I know the plans I have for you... plans to give you hope, and a future." That means God's plans for us don't include dead ends, but more opportunities. When we believe this, practical changes happen. We don't "shrink back," but step out in faith. How does this look in your job situation? In your family? In your leisure time? 

Further Reading:

Hebrews 4:16
Wild Goose Chase

[Judy Harder]

July 1, 2010

Armor 'n Enemies
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Ephesians 6:13-19

Six pieces of armor. Five primarily defensive, one primarily offensive. And yet...

Have you ever used the chest-bumper of righteoueness on someone? How about the head-butter of salvation? The bludgeoner of faith? The shin-kicker of readiness or the gut-puncher of holiness?

Even the sword of the spirit has its proper purpose - to fight our enemies. Which are?

Other Christians? Unbelievers? Mean people?

While we humans can all be so hard on each other, no. One verse earlier, Paul tells us what we're fighting:

our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil (v. 12).

Quite convicting, really. Not only do I clearly go into many days without getting completely dressed, even when I do I'm mis-using my equipment, fighting in the dark, swinging blindly, or wounding with friendly fire.

I don't know about you, but for me, the elemental Bible verses I first learned as a youth (like today's verse) are the ones I need to continually reconsider, because they're the ones I tend to just believe without acting upon.

When times come - like these days we're in now - where there is fierce political thought and lines being drawn and opinions spouted as truth, including the opinion that there is no truth - it's just so easy to get drawn in before we remember to put on our armor or be trained in using it. When that happens, we tend to view our enemies as each other, and forget or deny that the war is still spiritual. And therefore more serious, more wearying, not less.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Get dressed this morning, and tomorrow morning. Once equipped, try emphasizing the defensive uses of most of the armor. Stand up for someone. Protect the reputation of another. Shelter someone in loving truth. Run quickly to someone in need. I pray you'll begin to survive your days much less scathed.

Further Reading

Romans 8:38
Fight or Flight? Weighing Your Instincts Against God's Word

[Judy Harder]

July 2, 2010

Getting Rid of Pineapple Hospitality
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor 

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13

On Friday night, my house will be clean. The kitchen will sparkle like one from Better Homes and Gardens, the guest room curtains will gently ripple in the breeze, and - best of all - my guests and friends will feel such warmth that they never want to leave.

Ever had that dream?

The impending arrival of friends has made me reconsider just what it means to practice hospitality. Part of me knows that the house is just not "ready" for guests - I don't even have a pineapple tacked on the wall at this point. Granted, the boxes have diminished, but I don't consider my house properly "finished" yet. For that reason, part of me feels like I can't offer my guests "real" hospitality.

Ever lived that reality?

So what does hospitality mean? The dictionary definition of hospitality surprised me. Hospitality is "the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way." Not one word about wowing the guests with the food, the after-dinner entertainment, or even the surroundings. The very definition takes the focus off of things and puts it back where it belongs - on people and fellowship. It's an attitude as well as an action.

Many of my favorite growing-up memories feature a table with lots of people around it. I remember laughter, encouraging conversation, challenging conversation. My parents still love to invite people they meet at church back to the house for brunch, even though many of their guests are total strangers two hours prior to the meal. They ask people about their lives and share their own. They don't put on a show, but they do offer authenticity and a desire to encourage others.

My house sure isn't perfect, but then, neither am I. Neither are the people who walk through my door. Waiting until the house is perfect actually signals a pride issue for me, because it's an excuse not to offer what I do have. I want to be like Lydia in Acts, who probably hadn't planned to shelter the disciples at her house until she asked them. She just saw the need and shared what she could. I desire that kind of heart, a heart that can share God's gifts of love, provision, and joy.

I think human hospitality is actually a pale reflection of how God welcomes us into His house. I can offer food, shelter, and company - He offers the bread of life, shelter from the storms, and a relationship with Him. I was the stranger in desperate need of His hospitality, and He opened the door. How's that for a precedent?

When my friends arrive on Friday, it'll be okay if I missed a cobweb. And if a stray box or two is still in the living room, my friends will probably chuckle and ask how the unpacking is going. Then we'll swap stories about their own recent moves and laugh at old trinkets we've rediscovered, like my Nerf gun. And my prayer is that throughout the course of the evening, we'll encourage each other in the new directions that God is pushes us. Yep. That's what hospitality means.

Intersecting Faith & Life: I want to view my home as not just a place to eat and sleep. I want it to be a place where ministry happens and God touches people, and that means taking the opportunities to see Him work. What opportunities do you have to practice hospitality? Are you letting appearances hold you back? Or are you ready to invite others into welcome and caring atmosphere?

Further Reading 

The Reluctant Entertainer: Hospitality is a Gift You Can Give
Trying Too Hard to Be Perfect?
1 Peter 4:9
Matthew 25:35-46

[Judy Harder]

July 5, 2010

"Pulling an Assisi"
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

"Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."
— Saint Francis of Assisi

Whenever I read or hear the above quote by St. Francis of Assisi, I naturally think of myself first.  Ahem.

But, of course, it's not because I am the poster child for this way of living. Hardly. It makes me think of how my actions often do not point others to Christ. 

A Scripture passage that really convicts me and leads me toward "pulling an Assisi" and living out my faith without words is Romans 12:10-13:

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Truth be told, after reading these verses, I feel like there's no way I could ever do all of this. How can I possibly achieve all of these life instructions? Or, at the very least, how can I live out just one of these today?

The Lord knows that without him, without the power of the Holy Spirit, I cannot do this on my own. And so I take comfort after reading Philippians 2:1-2:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

When I empty myself of me, I make way for God to go to work. And it is only by the Holy Spirit working through me, and working through you, that we are able to live like this. He knits us to himself, and he knits us together as the body of Christ.

While we're here on earth, I also think it is natural for us to look to other believers as examples of those who "preach the gospel at all times" and "if necessary, use words." These are people who seem to have "effortlessly" discovered how to really empty themselves of themselves. Among other things, they're people who:

Open their homes and welcome anyone without prejudice
Have made personal, countercultural sacrifices to draw closer to God
Spread hope because their lives have been radically transformed
Admit their weaknesses so that others may see Christ at work
Give others the benefit of the doubt before judging
Make sure others are recognized first for their gifts and efforts
Accept (not reject) those with whom they disagree
Love the unlovely and befriend the outcasts
Don't boast about themselves or their achievements
Remember others in prayer and continually encourage
Do what they say they will do and don't make excuses
Seek to make amends first, no matter who is at fault
Make time for people, even if it means rearranging their schedules
Do you know someone who lives like this? It's encouraging to witness, isn't it? These individuals are the ones who draw us together and point us to Christ.

Yes, they are far from perfect, but they are consistently offering their lives as a sacrifice of praise and are being used by God. They are preaching the gospel. And they, without words, are "pulling an Assisi."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Call your church office to see if a single mother or a widow has requested assistance. Or ask your elderly neighbor what he or she needs. Then, give as you are able by opening your wallet or by making an appointment on your calendar to help out.

Further Reading:
Colossians 3:1-4, NIV
Galatians 5:22-23, NIV

[Judy Harder]

July 6, 2010

Community Commitment
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 2 Timothy 1:1-5

Who passed the faith on to you? Who gave you your first Bible or explained the meaning of the Cross in a way you could understand? Who influenced you to keep persevering when you felt like giving up?

Last week, I was awakened to the necessity (and challenges) of passing on the faith to the next generation. I walked into a Sunday school classroom prepared to assist the 8th teacher -- but she never showed. A family emergency prevented her from arriving on the very first day. Did I mention I've never taught Sunday school before?

While my teaching skills won't be winning any prizes, we all walked away mostly unscathed. But one thing became clear to me that day - these middle schoolers need someone older and wiser to mentor them or their faith won't survive life's challenges.

Of course, we can't expect 8th graders to make radical, lifelong commitments to Christ without assistance when even the apostles who personally knew Jesus during His earthly ministry relied on one another to grow in faith. In Acts, we see Peter and the others sorting out the details of early Christian doctrine among each other. And Paul's letters, some of the most quoted versus in the Bible, were written for encouragement and instruction to individuals and Christian communities.

One reason we rely so heavily on one another is that God set it up that way. He created the Church with Christ as the Head and you and I - believers -- as the Body:

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15 - 16

In our individualistic society it's easy to reduce faith down to a personal preference or a private journey. But just as our bodies rely on our organs to work together to thrive, the Body of Christ relies on its members to work together to thrive. So whether we like it or not, we're part of a community and people depend on us. While I don't always feel like the "perfect" Christian, and I certainly don't always feel prepared, God wants to work through me - and you - to further His work here on earth.

Intersecting Faith & Life: We all have at least one person who acted as a vehicle of God's grace in our lives. This week, honor a pastor or teacher who was influential in your faith journey. If you're not already mentoring a younger believer, find a way to get involved. You don't have to be perfect!

Further Reading:
1 Cor 10: 17
Colossians 2:4-12

[Judy Harder]

July 8, 2010

Keeper Lessons
by Meghan Kleppinger, Editor, Christianity.com

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
Psalm 91:2

Everyone loves those "dog movies." You know the ones - like Homeward Bound and My Dog Skip, and Benji, and Lassie. Actually, I can't watch those movies because I crumble to pieces whenever I see an animal in harm's way, or treated with cruelty. Yes, I know they're fictional and special effects are used, but it started with Old Yeller when I was five... and please don't ask me to explain the rest of that story!

Well, these days, I feel as though I'm living out one of those dog story movies.

I adopted a 5-year-old collie mix that had been rescued by an animal society on the day she was to be euthanized. I was told she was friendly but hand-shy and that she had been abandoned and probably abused. I quickly found this to be true and it nearly drove me to tears each time I would go to pet her and she would flinch.

About two weeks after the adoption, my dog started having seizures. I can't begin to explain the fear that consumed me. It was nothing compared to the terrified and confused look in my pup's eyes. The vet told me that she will have to be on epilepsy meds for life and that whoever gave her up probably did so because they didn't think she was worth the effort and cost.

I love this dog and I'm committed to keeping her healthy and safe, but I've had the most difficult time communicating this with her. I even named her Keeper as a reminder that she has found her forever home and that she is, indeed, a keeper.

The other day while I was walking her, a huge black dog jumped out of nowhere and attempted to attack her. I don't know how to explain my reaction when this happened. In mamma bear fashion, I didn't think, I reacted. I started screaming at this dog, "Get off of her!" and threw myself between the two of them. Eventually, I managed to pull out and then walk away, a little shaken, but unscathed. I saw two wet saliva spots on her skin - attempted bite marks - and realized how fortunate we were.

God started to impress some things upon me as we walked home. Here I had this dog that was abused, abandoned, unwanted, and considered worthless by someone. She has trust issues but at the same time wants so badly to please me.

It made me think of us humans. We have trust issues. We have hurts and pains that we don't understand and don't want to revisit. Sometimes it's hard for those of us who have been hurt to obey God's call to trust Him.

What God reminded me of was that He doesn't just tell us we can trust Him, or command us to do so, but through scripture and through circumstances in our lives He shows us over and over again that we can trust Him.

I took my dog out for a walk again the same day as the earlier attack and I nearly had a nervous breakdown as I saw two huskies approaching us. I knew them to be friendly dogs, but the last thing I wanted was for Keeper to go into her Alpha-dog "I'll protect you and myself" mode. She doesn't initiate attacks, but she doesn't shy away from them either.

Anyway, rather than showing her teeth or barking, like she normally does, she hid behind me.

I had spent months petting, hugging, grooming and feeding her, and telling her that she was "my girl," but it never seemed to be enough to gain her full trust. On the day of the attack, something happened. Something clicked. She saw by my actions that I cared for her and that in turn, she could trust me.

God reminded me that Jesus stepped in and, knowing the cost, paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. Though others may think us worthless, He thought we were worth being saved to the point of death. He has proven that He cares for us and can be trusted.

Why then, do we so often try by ourselves to fight those battles that threaten us each day? Why do we go into alpha-dog mode when He has told us that He will go before us and fight for us?

Keeper ran behind me when we saw those two huskies because she knew I would protect her. Most of all, what God taught me through my dog that day is that I need to do the same... I need to seek His protective covering and let Him take care of me.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Further Reading

Psalm 20:7
2 Chronicles 20:17
Why God Can be Trusted: Letter to the Hebrews
Learn How and When to Trust in a World of Betrayal