Lessons I learned from my dog......

The other night was not a good night! I was woken up by my husband getting out of bed and then telling me that the dog, who shall remain nameless (maybe) had gotten into the garage; that of course I forgot to stick back under the kitchen sink. So suffice it to say what happened was not all his (the dog's) fault. So being awake at say around 1:00 am, I wambled out to the couch to read and most likely spend the rest of my night, as not to disturb my beloved! Herein lies my night spent with said dog, and the consequences of his previous actions. Surprisingly this lead me to biblical lessons that I would like to share with you.

The first thing that came to mind as I was letting the dog in and out, so he could, well you know, was how we as sinners always tend to get involved in things that are not good for us, and that have consequences to them. Champs (oops, said his name) issue is he loves the good treats that can be found in the trash, like bacon grease, or hamburger grease, etc, etc. Our issues are far more complex, and far reaching. The passage of scripture that comes immediately to mind if Romans 7:14-24 (The Message). In our flesh we cannot have victory over our sin nature. Even Paul, who was the greatest Apostle, struggled with the hold sin can have, in the flesh. That can way a person down. Make them feel like they can never live a life of faith. Oh but that is not why Paul wrote this passage. He wants us to see the victory in Christ Jesus! Take a look at Verse 25.

²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (Romans 7:25, The Message)

The very next chapter says we have been set free from the law of sin and death! Read Romans 8 and feel the victory!

The next thing that came to mind is Proverbs 26:11:

As a dog returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his folly.

Isn't that just like us? We can tend to return to things that we have sworn we would never return too. That we thought we had conquered. I think about this in respect to my issue with watching what I eat. I can lose weight, feel I have finally come to understand the hold food and eating have on me, and start to fall back into the same old habits that I was in. I return to my folly. We (I) can forget the promise of VICTORY in Christ Jesus!

I am so glad for Romans 7 & 8! I am so glad that through Christ we have victory and there is no condemnation, because I am in Christ Jesus!

And I am thankful that God uses all His creation (including my sweet little Champerdoodle) to teach us lessons about who we am, but most of all about who HE is!!!