If You're Happy and you Know it

Proverbs 16:20 (ESV)

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,

    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Probably every one has sung the song, "If You're Happy." You know the one I'm talking about -- "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

I wonder how that song would go if it were sung by a bunch of birds? Maybe it would go like this, "If you're happy and you know it, flap your wings. (flap, flap) " What do you think a dog would do to show that he was happy? Wag his tail? "If you're happy and you know it, wag your tail. (swish-swish) If you're happy and you know it wag your tail. (swish-swish) If you're happy and you know it, then your tail will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it, wag your tail. (swish-swish)"

I heard a story about a little puppy that noticed that whenever he was happy, his tail wagged, so the thought he had found the secret to happiness. One day he shared the secret of happiness with an older dog. He said, "I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness, and that happiness is in my tail. So I am going to chase my tail; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness!" The old dog replied, "I too, believe that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail. But I have noticed that when I chase it, my tail keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it follows me wherever I go."

The Bible has a lot to say about being happy. It doesn't say, "Happy are they who have a lot of money" or "Happy are they who live in big houses and drive fancy cars." It doesn't even say, "Happy are they who only have good things happen to them." What the Bible does say is, "Happy are the merciful, happy are the peacemakers, and happy are the pure in heart." The Bible also says, Happy is he who trusts in the Lord. Many of us are like that little puppy chasing his tail -- trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we will just go about our business and trust in the Lord, happiness will follow us wherever we go.

Dear Lord, help us to place our trust in You so that we may experience the happiness that only You can bring. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Woof, Woof, Woof!

Luke 11:5-8 (ESV)

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

Continuing with stories about dogs that have a lesson for each of us I found this one about being persistent.

Having assembled my usual cup of tea, Bible, paper, and pen, I finally sat down to write. I had just gotten comfortable to pray, read the Scriptures, and begin another chapter, when I heard a sound outside the front door. A small woof drifted to my ears from our front porch. Having just begun a new story, I ignored Joy’s soft bark and kept writing. It wasn’t long before I heard it again. “Woof,” she barked, this time a little louder. I was in the middle of a stream of writing, and it was a beautiful day outside, so I continued to write. I tend to get in the flow of my writing and tune out the world around me. I was on a roll, writing a new devotion, and I wanted to stay in the stream of thought.

In a couple of minutes, I heard a louder, more insistent woof from outside the front door. Joy was persisting in her request to come back inside our house. I knew she wasn’t going to give up and take a nap on the front porch, as I’d hoped, so I got up and let her in. She happily trotted into the house, stationing herself on the back of the couch for her afternoon nap. I went back to writing and all was well. I completed the project despite the interruption. It wasn’t long, though, before my mind turned back to Joy’s increasingly insistent woofs outside the front door. As I read my Bible and prayed, I thought about her woof, woof, woof as a model for prayer. Let me explain.

I was reading Luke 11, where Jesus taught His disciples about prayer. First, He gave them a pattern to use in the Lord’s Prayer, and then He taught them about the importance of persistence through the parable of the persistent friend, found in Luke 11:5–8. There Jesus likened His heavenly Father to a man who’s just gotten himself and his family tucked into bed for the night after a long, tiring day. Any parent with young children knows that this can be quite an accomplishment, particularly in close quarters.

Suddenly at midnight the homeowner’s sleep is disturbed by a knock on the door by a friend in need. Reluctant to disturb his family and get out of bed, thereby waking his whole household, he refuses the request. However, the friend persists in his request, ultimately succeeding in his pursuit of assistance from the homeowner. Jesus uses the story to teach us that prayer is not a passive or singular exercise. He encourages believers, through this and other parables, to persist on the stubborn points in prayer.

Don’t get me wrong. God is not unwilling to answer His children’s pleas. However, the nature of this present age and the reality of spiritual warfare in the fallen world we live in necessitate faith-filled, persistent prayer. Jesus knew that, of course, which is why He gave us this parable. Like the persistent friend in Jesus’ parable and my insistent dog outside my front door that day, believers who persist in their faith-filled prayers are sure to get an answer in line with God’s will.

Dear Lord, we confess that we can be distracted and easily discouraged over circumstances in my our and easily give up. Help us to be persistent and keep faith that You are working and will answer our prayers. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Just Say No

Ephesians 6:10-13 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Here is a story I found that goes along with our verse today.

My little Cavachon, Joy, and I were out for a walk on a beautiful summer’s evening. She trotted along next to me, her usual happy self. As we rounded a bend in the sidewalk and headed up a hill, I suddenly noticed a large black dog with its tail erect staring at us. I didn’t like the looks of his stance. He began to run toward us, with his owner casually walking behind, stating how friendly he was. I had an inner sense he was anything but friendly, in spite of his owner’s words.

The dog charged out of his yard, came onto the sidewalk, and towered over my little pet. He gave a few casual sniffs then turned to walk away. Suddenly, however, he turned back toward Joy with teeth bared, ready to snap! There was no time to run, and in a split second I knew that would make matters worse. I looked that dog in the eye, stepped boldly toward him, and shouted, “No!” right in his face. He was startled and stopped his attack. By that time his owner had reached us and began pulling her so-called friendly pet back into her yard, apologizing profusely.

As we began to walk on, both Joy and I were a bit shaken. I reassured her with loving pats and kind words. I continued to pray and recognized that the incident was a lot like spiritual warfare (the unseen battle between God’s holy angels and Satan’s demons played out through earthly circumstances or people). The devil comes to tempt or attack Christians or their loved ones, often when they least expect it, and disguised in seemingly innocuous ways. However, the Holy Spirit can help believers to have an inner sense that something is amiss, as I did out on my dog walk that night.

Because I was listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting in my heart instead of the dog owner’s voice, I was able to quickly step into the path of that aggressive dog, shouting “No!” and preventing a sure bite. Jesus did the same thing to Satan in the face of his wilderness temptations as detailed in Luke 4. When the devil tempted Jesus, the Lord spoke directly back to him using the Word of God as a spiritual weapon. He overcame the devil with His Word!

Jesus wasn’t passive; He actively resisted the devil, and we need to do the same. Through daily prayer, Bible reading, memorizing Scripture, and practicing the Lord’s presence, the Christian can begin to see unseen or disguised dangers intended to harm their friends or family and just say no in prayer!

Dear Lord, we believe Your Word is truth and that we can use it as a spiritual weapon as You did. Help us to use Your Word as a weapon so we may stand against the devil.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Power of Prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I found this story the other day that shows the power of prayer even when we are sleeping. Here is the story.

While I was sleeping, God was at work. It was unusual for me to sleep until 8:00 on a Thursday morning. Usually I’d be up at 6:00 getting ready to take my kids to school. But that day our girls didn’t have school. I didn’t find out what happened until later. I should preface my story with this. I pray about everything. I try to put Philippians 4:6-7 into practice in my life. One of the things I pray for, in addition to my own family, is our dog, Joy. I regularly pray for her and pet her and ask God to bless and protect her. I pray specifically that she’ll live a long, healthy life.

That morning as our girls and I slept late, my husband was reading the newspaper on the front porch. He told me later that he hadn’t noticed Joy wasn’t wearing her electric collar. As it turned out, our invisible fence had been broken, but we were unaware of it. Our kids go to a Christian school, but the local public schools were in session that day. As a school bus drove down our street, Joy ran to the edge of our yard to bark at it as usual. This time, however, she ran through her invisible fence, out of the yard, and into the path of the oncoming school bus. On her own at only fourteen pounds, she didn’t stand a chance.

As my husband watched in horror, the school bus ran over Joy. He was expecting the worst. But, God! The bus ran straight over Joy without one wheel touching her! She shot straight back into the yard, up onto the front porch, and to the front door. She was shaking but otherwise totally unharmed. Not one hair on her furry little head was touched. That was nothing short of a miracle!

When my husband told me the story later that morning, he was astonished. Immediately Psalm 34:7 sprang into my mind, “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” I knew in my heart that God had answered my prayers and sent an angel to protect our little dog.

This has served as such a great reminder that God hears and answers prayers of all kinds. We can pray about everything in our lives, the small and the big. God has chosen to work through prayer, and when we truly pray about everything, we can rest and trust that God has heard and will answer.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that You care about every detail of our life and that we can truly pray about everything. There is nothing that is too small for Your attention. We pray that we would know Your loving kindness even more deeply today and remember to bring all our concerns to You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Lessons form your dog

Revelation 5:14 (ESV)

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Your dog can teach you to love God more. Look into your puppy's eyes. He might have something to say.

Four lessons you can learn from my pooch:

Loyalty

Celebration

Protection

Affection

We are all pound puppies. Scraggly, sinful, smelly and in need of rescue. God looked down at our “waggely” tails, wet noses, and flea-filled fur. He released from our captive cages, vaccinated us from sin, and adopted us into His family. Mutts no more. He even gave us pedigree-papers we can present at the Pearly Gates.

We can learn a lot about loving God from our furry friends.

Loyalty. Your doggy sits at your feet, follows you everywhere you go, and sleeps at the foot of your bed.

God deserves no less from us. Clinging close to Him is what we were designed to do. Believe in Him. Rely upon Him. Never, never leave His side.

Celebration. My Dog Diamond would practically leap out of her skin when I return home. When I would retrieve my mail from the street which takes less than a minute she would act like I had been gone for eons. Jubilant jumping, licking, wriggling and barking accompany her glee at my return.

Do you rejoice in God’s presence? Are you glad to spend time with Him? Celebrate your Heavenly Father with a grateful heart.

Protection. Even a Chihuahua will vigilantly guard his Master; fiercely growling and howling his tiny head off. The squirt has no idea that even a child could squish his bony body with a sneaker. Dogs zealously guard their owners. They patrol the yard, circling the perimeter, listening intently for the slightest unfamiliar sound. If a stranger approaches, they yap incessantly to keep danger at bay.

Do you guard God’s Name and His holiness? Or do you sit idly by and let a corrupt society continue to contaminate and defame His Name? Love Him enough to hate evil.

Affection. Our Diamond would go to anyone that came to visit her and be ready to be snuggled. She would lick my hand and strokes my leg with her paw, gazing at me with adoring brown eyes. Just like cuddly Diamond, worship is our expression of affection toward God.

The most common word in the New Testament for “worship” is proskuneo. This word occurs 60 times in the New Testament, 57 of which are in the four gospels, Acts, and Revelation.  It originally carried with it the idea of subjects falling down to kiss the ground before a king or kiss their feet.  The literal definition means “to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand, to fawn or crouch to, homage (do reverence to, adore): worship.” The elders in heaven worship as God intended:

Lick His Hand in worship today. Lie in the lap of His presence without hurrying away.  Give your pup an extra pet today. Learn to love God from your furry friend.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the pets that You have given to us. Help us to learn the lessons from them of Loyalty, Celebration, Protection and Affection.   Help us to love You like you deserve this week. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Like Dogs, Not Snakes

1 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV)

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we hear the word “snake,” most of us recoil with fear. Granted, there are some people in the world who are genuine snake lovers, but for most of us, we simply don’t like snakes, and for good reason. Snakes are sneaky and many of them are dangerous. We don’t trust them. Truth be told, though, snakes probably don’t like us just as much as we don’t like them.

On the other hand, when we hear “dog,” most of us, unless we’ve had a bad encounter, get warm and fuzzy feelings inside. We like dogs. After all, most dogs are fun, kind, and gentle. But owners of dogs also know that they’re faithful animals.

We all want friends that are more like dogs than snakes. We want friends who can be trusted, who are faithful, and who are loyal. We don’t want friends who talk bad about us behind our backs, who let us down, and who are never there for us when we need them the most.

God wants us to be faithful people!

How Do we Do This?

Spend time reading about and reflecting on God’s faithfulness.

Ask yourself the following questions. How has God been faithful to me? What kinds of qualities does God have that I want in my own life in order to become more faithful?

Write out some practical ways that you can be more faithful.

Thank God for His faithfulness in your life and then ask Him to help you be more faithful.

As you reflect on the fruit of faithfulness, remember that God wants us to be like dogs, not snakes! He wants us to be people who are faithful.

Dear Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to be more like Dogs and not snakes. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Come to the Lord as you are.

Matthew 6:32-33 (ESV)

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We have a cord-free, battery-free alarm clock – his name is Max. Like clockwork, at 7:00 each morning our Max, wakes up and jumps up onto our bed to greet us good morning.

What's interesting to me though, is that when Max wakes up, he doesn't wonder if we'll come to him. He comes directly to us.  He doesn't question whether or not we love him. He's sure of it! Max has no worries. He expects that we will take care of his every need and love him.

Don't you wish you were a dog sometimes? No worries -- getting pampered and hugged and kissed. Well, I have good news for you -- you are a dog! You are the Lord's dog! We are His children and He loves us with an everlasting and perfect love. He cares for us just like we care for Max -- in fact, much, much more than that!

Each morning on, let's start coming to the Lord as we are -- His children! We needn't worry about anything. Our Father awaits the time when we will totally put our trust in Him. He loves us and He knows every one of our needs before even a word is on our lips! Let's practice putting our worries aside and determine to expect our Heavenly father to meet our every need. And don't forget to take some time out today and say -- Abba, thank you for loving me!

Dear Lord, we thank You that we can come to just as we are at any time and You are there with Your arms open wide waiting for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

A lesson learned from a dog and a cat.

Psalm 27:10  (ESV)

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

    but the Lord will take me in.

I read a story today that illustrates this principle.

There is an ingrained enmity between dogs and cats. Take my dog, Salida, for example. When she goes for a visit at my mother-in-law's house, she tries very hard to befriend the two resident cats. But when her efforts only result in hisses and snarls, she gets discouraged and feels rejected.

The day we brought Roxy, our ragdoll kitten home, Salida didn't feel that same enmity she had experienced from former cats. Yes, at first our cat was a bit intimidated by her big canine sister, but they soon became close buddies.

When going for a walk, Roxy insists to be treated like the dog. She walks on a leash beside the dog, and even relieves herself on the side of the road, just like her canine sister. She even plays with Salida. Take the day, for example, that she jumped on Salida's back while she was sleeping. The startled dog jumped up and ran, with Roxy lopping along under her belly. Then Salida turned to see what had fallen on her, but she couldn't figure it out, because Roxy was standing right under her. You could almost see the twinkle in the kitten's eye.

Our cat loves our dog unconditionally. Both peace and acceptance are possible in this world, but only when we are loved without reservation.

This story makes me think that even amidst serious turmoil; I can keep on smiling, for my Best Friend, Jesus Christ, has accepted me unconditionally. We have all experienced rejection in our life, and there has been only One who has reached out to us and accepted us for who we are without reservation. In fact He willingly died on a cross for us so that we could experience such joy and freedom.  As we head into the Christmas season what a great thing to not only remember but to share with those we come into contact with.

Dear Lord, thank You that even among the turmoil of life You have promise that You will always be there. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A Dog Leash and Humilty

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

I read a story about a dog named Simon. He was a great big, handsome brute of a dog who loved to get the best of you. Gentle with children, wily with adults. His owner’s pride often took a fall while walking him because he never knew when Simon would decide to take advantage of a moment's inattentiveness. He would be strolling along enjoying their daily walk, proud of being able to handle his big fellow on the end of the leash, when all of sudden usually when he was in mid-stride, look out, he would bolt.

You could hear his neighbors howling with laughter as they witnessed him being jerked into the air behind Simon, while hanging onto his leash for dear life as his feet hit the pavement on the fly and directed to the nearest telephone pole where he could fling his arms around it in order to bring both he and Simon to a screeching halt. But this was only the beginning of their enjoyment and my continued lesson in learning the art of humility. For the next step involved picking the splinters out of the side of his face that hit the pole, while trying to look nonchalant about the whole affair in order to save the small scrap of what was left of his pride and dignity.

Humility is a hard lesson to learn. It is a necessary one however, for as the Scriptures tell us, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. And how our enemy the devil loves to see the destruction and fall of our plans, our spirits and our relationships.

Much like Simon, the evil one is always prowling around waiting and watching for those moments of inattentiveness in our lives as Christians. Moments when we take our eyes off Jesus, His will and way, to covet our own. At such times, if we are not quick to recognize and reverse our folly, our spiritual feet can be yanked out from beneath us in the blink of an eye, leaving us feeling humiliated in front of friends, family, and most especially our Lord.

Simon was simply a dog who loved a bit of fun. Satan however is our arch enemy whose purpose is to destroy the works and will of God in his people. So look out! Be attentive! Stay focused on Jesus and you won't be left trying to nonchalantly remove the splinters of spiritual humiliation from your spirit and memory at the end of the day.

Dear Lord, how we love your humility which led you to lay aside your kingly crown for a time, that you might come to earth and dwell among us. Help us do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Lucky Lady and "Lucky" the Dog

2 Corinthians 4:7 (New International Version)

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog, Lucky. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably someone would forget and something would come up missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease...she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky.

A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three year old dog liked Jim he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the dog just drooped, whining and miserable. But finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed. When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot.

Panic soon gave way to laughter though when Mary realized the problem....she was covered, literally blanketed in every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement and back bringing his beloved mistress his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love. Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every night.

It's been 12 years now, and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box, but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Dear Lord We thank You for making us each a treasure. We pray that those we come in contact with today we would treat them as the treasure that You have made them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The World's Most Communicative Disease

Colossians 1:27 (New International Version)There is a story in circulation about an optimistic farmer who couldn't wait to greet each new day with a resounding, "Good morning, God!" He lived near a woman whose morning greeting was more like, "Good God. Morning?" They were each a trial to the other. Where he saw opportunity, she saw problems. What brought him satisfaction, brought her discontentment.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.





One bright morning he exclaimed, "Look at the beautiful sky! Did you ever see such a glorious sunrise?"


"Yeah," she countered. "It'll probably get so hot the crops will scorch!"


During an afternoon shower, he commented, "Isn't this wonderful? Mother Nature is giving the corn a drink today!"


"And if it doesn't stop before too long," came the sour reply,


"We’ll wish we'd taken out flood insurance on the crops!" And so it went.


Convinced that he could instill some awe and wonder in this hardened woman, he bought a remarkable dog. Not just any mutt, but the most expensive, highly trained and gifted dog he could find. The animal was exquisite! It could perform remarkable and impossible feats which, the farmer thought, would surely amaze even his neighbor. So he invited her to watch his dog perform.


"Fetch!" he commanded, as he tossed a stick into a lake, where it bobbed up and down in the rippling water. The dog bounded after the stick, walked ON the water, and retrieved it.


"What do you think of that?" he asked, smiling.


"Hmmm," she frowned. "Can't swim, can he?"


I believe that attitudes are the world's most communicative diseases. They can be as catching as any known virus. And when negative and cynical, they can be just as deadly. But a stubbornly positive attitude can often make the difference between happiness and misery, between health and illness and even between life and death. Once infected, you'll never be the same.


Dear Lord we pray that we would look for the good instead of the bad. We pray that our positive outlook would be a good testimony for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sanctification and the Dog.

There are many things that a dog does not like. Chief among them for many dogs is the seeming innocuous task of having their nails clipped. Dogs have very sensitive paws. I have often been amazed at the amount of time our Dalmatian spends grooming. The lick,lick and lick is often followed by nibbles and chomps directed at the skin and between the toes. Taught at a very early age to be fastidious groomers by their mothers, what we might regard as almost ritualistic and surely repetitive is really more than it seems. Dogs don’t sweat. For the most part they exchange body heat largely through panting. But there is one place on their bodies that is the exception and that is the bottom of their paws. The only place on a dog’s entire body that sweats is its paws. Stress a dog and make it pace. Then, touch the bottom of their paws. Surprisingly they are quite moist. It is no surprise, therefore, that dogs are so sensitive to the manipulation or grooming of their paws. Their paws are precious to them providing not only their sole means to escape enemies and pursue prey but also the one avenue by which they are able to employ evaporation as a means of cooling down.


The longer you allow a dog to go without grooming, especially a dog that is kept indoors and away from the natural corrosive environment that will normally serve to keep a dog’s claws blunted and short, the harder and harder it becomes for it to walk. As the claws grow the paw is pushed upward causing an abnormal pressure on the spine. Eventually a dog with unmanicured claws may develop back problems, become listless or agitated. Yet, as good as grooming is for a dog, the dog doesn’t seem to recognize the boon. It will pull, bite and writhe in your grasp as if you are trying to inflict great harm on it. And, the fact is, nail clipping is uncomfortable for most dogs since their paws are very sensitive to touch, temperature and pressure. The very thing that benefits them is the one thing they most fear.


Sanctification, the process by which we are made holy, like Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit seems to have the same effect on humans as nail clipping does on dogs. We want to be like Christ. We long to conform to the image of our Savior in every way possible. We long to walk uprightly and in a “holy” manner. But we often stumble and fall. Just as a dog must be sat upon in some instances just to convince it that what we are about to do will ultimately be for its own good, so too sometimes our God must sit upon us with the weight of his grace.


We need to keep working toward the goal of being what God wants us to be no matter how uncomfortable that may be.


13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
-Romans 6:13-14 (New International Version)




Dear Lord we pray that we will allow you to work through us. We pray that no matter how uncomfortable it is we will allow you to do your work through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.