Have you heard the old saying, "It's a dog's life"? Well, this week I have been observing exactly what a dog's life is like! We are "dog sitting" for Doug and Susie who are away on a much needed vacation......without Sammy and Kylie! We are sharing the doggie duty with Susie's mom and dad, but so far, this is what I have learned about the dog's life.....
Sammy and Kylie spend most of their time doing exactly what they are doing in this picture. Sleeping in their plush little beds. They eat exactly what is put in front of them (twice a day) and go for a few walks outside. But for about 23 of the 24 hours in a day, they are curled up in their comfy, safe place. And I can assure you that those two dogs are not worried about anything! (Except possibly when the next food truck arrives with the kibble). They are really wonderful house guests. I really barely knew they were in the house today!
I was thinking about what a worry free life that dogs lead, and then remembering the very clear directive that Jesus left us about worry..........first He reminded us that birds are fed by the Father. Then Jesus spoke about the flowers who don't need to worry about their clothes. Then Jesus ended this passage saying....."Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34
Yes, in spite of this very clear teaching, I know that I do worry. But truthfully, I know that I am doing a better job of not worrying so much. I am daily asking for guidance and help from Jesus on this! At any rate, today at my small group, we were talking about all of the "stuff" going on around us in the world, in our country, and in our families. And it was clear that worry and fear were trying to bombard our little group. We started to just worship and soak in the presence of Jesus. Calm and peace just filled the room and we all began to relax. I had a little picture pop into my head of this very large hand holding the planet earth! And the song "He's got the whole world in His hands" just came into my mind. I also thought "He has his eye on us!" Psalm 33. So I looked up Psalm 33.
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Yes, there it was.....the eyes of the Lord are on us! Why would we worry? He has it all in control. He is not worried or bothered. The plans of the Lord stand firm forever! Yep, it really is a dog's life for us. We can just let go and not worry about anything! Yes, I think that I will be spending some time parked in Psalm 33. It seems like a really good place to put my focus. I will remember that just like verse 13 says, "From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind!" His eyes are on us!
So after breathing that thought deep into my spirit, I will go and take these two sweet doggies on a long walk about the neighborhood! And I will remember that Jesus has everything under control!
Jesus, thank you so much for this great lesson today! Holy Spirit, help us all to keep our focus on the heavens and help us to remember that Jesus has it all taken care of! Thank you for lessons learned through our pets and reminders through songs and visions. And thank you Lord for making sure we had your Word to keep these lessons in our hearts and minds. Amen
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