Much More than a Dog Show
Have you ever been to a Dog Show? As an observer you quickly learn that the dog and its master have spent a lot of time together. The master walks with deliberate steps and the dog responds on cue. The dog is oblivious to the watching crowds and even to the adjudicators. In fact, they are more of a distraction to the dog than anything else. The dog is focused on walking before its master, obeying its master and pleasing its master. The master has carefully worked with the dog to ensure it’s a class-act for the breed it represents. Sit and stay, down and stay, heel and follow and the fetch and retrieve commands have been practiced faithfully, until they can be flawlessly performed.
The relationship between the dog and its master is tight.
I have seen entire walls covered with medals and ribbons won at dog shows. And for those who are caught up in such a hobby, there’s hardly anything more important in life. Their dog’s performance!
One day Abram was visited by God. It wasn’t the first time the two had communicated. Abram was 99 years old – no spring chicken or a young pup either. God had called this man out of the darkness of paganism and was working powerfully in his life. In fact, the Lord had told him that all people throughout the world would be blessed through him and that he would be the father of millions. But now he was 99 years old; he and Sarai had never produced their own son yet. Was his faith beginning to waver?
Is your faith beginning to wobble, waver and wither?
But now God is talking to Abram:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old
the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
walk before me,
and be blameless…”
Genesis 17:1
“Abram, keep focused on Me; after all, I am God Almighty – El Shaddai. There are no obstacles for Me; no barriers and no hurdles for Me to overcome. I am the Almighty God. I will make it happen. Leave it with Me. Your responsibility is to walk before Me. I know you have many distractions and there are many people on the horizontal that you are concerned about – but first and foremost your duty is to walk before Me. When I say ‘walk before Me’ I don’t mean for you to walk ahead of Me or in front of Me; I mean for you to live your life each day to please Me. Every decision you make, look into My eye first and get the signal from Me. Don’t take your cues from other people – I’m your Master; walk before Me. Keep checking My eyes and listen to the tone of My voice and heed all My commands. It’s Me you must please, if you want to win.”
“Walking before God” means to please God in all your activities and choices. Some things may please yourself and please your friends – but not please God. If you want the winning formula for Christian living, it’s not complex. It’s simply to walk before your Master each day. Get to know God by reading and responding to your Bible each day and praying every day. But not just the bedside prayers when your knees are bent in that prayerful posture of humility and submission – but practise a prayerful spirit throughout the day. Breathe out little prayers as you work-out; or as you make your bed or drive your car or brush your teeth. Get to know your Master intimately.
Is your relationship with your Master a tight one?
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