Pepper was quite sure I’d lost my mind earlier this week. I was pulling weeds in the corn even though the sky looked like it could open up and pour at any moment. Pepper accompanied me to the garden, as usual, and took up his normal watchful position nearby. Occasionally, something would catch his attention and he’d go investigate, but he kept a pretty close eye on me while I was working.
When it started to sprinkle, he came to me, tail down, ears tucked, head ducked. His actions couldn’t have told me any more plainly, “Hey! It’s raining! Do you think we ought to go inside?” I petted him, told him he was a good dog, and then told him to go away. He walked over, lay down, and continued his vigil.
Soon the rain stopped. He watched me for a while. He investigated interesting things. And then it started blowing and sprinkling again. Again, he came to let me know it was raining and maybe we should do something. I told him he was a nice dog and told him to go away.
The third time, he brought Ebony with him. She was like, “Hey, it’s raining out here. Can we go inside yet?” I told her she was a nice dog. I told Pepper he was a nice dog, but they needed to let me work for a few more minutes.
Pretty soon it was really raining. But I was so close to having my row weeded. I just wanted to finish. I wasn’t a bit surprised when Pepper came to get me. He loyally believes it is his job to keep watch while I’m in the garden, no matter what the weather is doing. (Ebony had long since gone to the porch.) But enough was enough. He stood right in front of me and made me look him in the eye. Then he started licking my arm - you know how he tries to dry himself off after he’s gone into the pond or after a bath. He must have thought I was just not thinking clearly because obviously I was getting WET! He was doing everything he could to provide me with the intelligence that I obviously was missing. How in the world I could possibly miss the rain, he couldn’t figure out, but he was determined to let me know that IT WAS RAINING and it was time to go inside.
Do you think we ever do that to God?
Do you think we ever think that God just doesn’t know what’s going on in our lives? That He must be so preoccupied that He’s just unaware of what is such a huge problem to us? We just need to let Him know so that He will do what we think needs to be done?
We wouldn’t ever do that, would we?
It seems so silly to put in those words, but that’s what our actions say. We worry. We get upset about the events in our lives. We even begin to doubt whether He still loves us.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. . . . 1 John 4:16
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9
But God’s love doesn’t begin and end with the huge gift of His Son. Paul says: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32
We can’t doubt that God loves us. And we can’t doubt that He wants us to bring our needs to Him.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
It would be ridiculous to think that the Creator of the universe wasn’t powerful enough to be in control of everything. Nothing is impossible with God! So after we struggle with doubts and fears, we come back to the foundational knowledge that He is God and we are not.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:1-2
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8
And I have to trust Him - because that’s my part of the covenant as His child.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3-4
I’m going to experience some rain in my life, and undoubtedly some downpours which upset me. I have to believe that God knows about the storms. He knows what I’m enduring. I need to trust Him. I need to remember to pray like Jehoshaphat did, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chron. 20:12) And if He determines that I need to ride out the storm, I rest in His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)
When it started to sprinkle, he came to me, tail down, ears tucked, head ducked. His actions couldn’t have told me any more plainly, “Hey! It’s raining! Do you think we ought to go inside?” I petted him, told him he was a good dog, and then told him to go away. He walked over, lay down, and continued his vigil.
Soon the rain stopped. He watched me for a while. He investigated interesting things. And then it started blowing and sprinkling again. Again, he came to let me know it was raining and maybe we should do something. I told him he was a nice dog and told him to go away.
The third time, he brought Ebony with him. She was like, “Hey, it’s raining out here. Can we go inside yet?” I told her she was a nice dog. I told Pepper he was a nice dog, but they needed to let me work for a few more minutes.
Pretty soon it was really raining. But I was so close to having my row weeded. I just wanted to finish. I wasn’t a bit surprised when Pepper came to get me. He loyally believes it is his job to keep watch while I’m in the garden, no matter what the weather is doing. (Ebony had long since gone to the porch.) But enough was enough. He stood right in front of me and made me look him in the eye. Then he started licking my arm - you know how he tries to dry himself off after he’s gone into the pond or after a bath. He must have thought I was just not thinking clearly because obviously I was getting WET! He was doing everything he could to provide me with the intelligence that I obviously was missing. How in the world I could possibly miss the rain, he couldn’t figure out, but he was determined to let me know that IT WAS RAINING and it was time to go inside.
Do you think we ever do that to God?
Do you think we ever think that God just doesn’t know what’s going on in our lives? That He must be so preoccupied that He’s just unaware of what is such a huge problem to us? We just need to let Him know so that He will do what we think needs to be done?
We wouldn’t ever do that, would we?
It seems so silly to put in those words, but that’s what our actions say. We worry. We get upset about the events in our lives. We even begin to doubt whether He still loves us.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. . . . 1 John 4:16
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9
But God’s love doesn’t begin and end with the huge gift of His Son. Paul says: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32
We can’t doubt that God loves us. And we can’t doubt that He wants us to bring our needs to Him.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
It would be ridiculous to think that the Creator of the universe wasn’t powerful enough to be in control of everything. Nothing is impossible with God! So after we struggle with doubts and fears, we come back to the foundational knowledge that He is God and we are not.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:1-2
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8
And I have to trust Him - because that’s my part of the covenant as His child.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3-4
I’m going to experience some rain in my life, and undoubtedly some downpours which upset me. I have to believe that God knows about the storms. He knows what I’m enduring. I need to trust Him. I need to remember to pray like Jehoshaphat did, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chron. 20:12) And if He determines that I need to ride out the storm, I rest in His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)
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