A Pet's Prayer

     "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"  Matthew 6:25

     Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7  NIV (1984)

      Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22

     We have a pet that we love.  Maxi is a country dog.  She is half beagle and half black lab and she is as sweet as your favorite candy.  Maxi is neither an inside dog nor an outside dog.  We force her to stay inside from midnight until daylight for her own safety; but during daylight hours through midnight, she can come inside and go outside as she pleases.  This, however, requires some intervention on our part.

     Maxi, being short and without thumbs, needs us to open the door for her.  She does not seem embarrassed or ashamed to ask us to do this.  When she wants to go outside, she stands by our front door and looks in our direction.  When she wants to come in, she makes noise by pawing the front door and then she waits for us to open the door.

     The point is that Maxi asks and then she waits for us to fulfill her request in our own time.  She doesn't worry that we won't open the door for her tomorrow or next week.  She doesn't seem to worry that when we let her out that we might not let her back in.  She trusts in our love.

     Do you trust in God's love?  Do you ask and then wait?  Do you worry that he might not always give you what you think you need?  There have been many nights when Maxi has asked to be let out around midnight and we have told her "no."  That doesn't reduce her belief in our love for her.  She just accepts the no and asks again in the morning.

     God knows us and loves us.  He knows our needs and wants to grant our requests.  Trust him to know what is best for you and wait on his responses to your prayers.  You don't have to worry that he won't be there tomorrow.

Adding Interest

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection. Do not add to His words, or He may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6 NLT)

Why is it that we always want to add to stories that we hear to make them more interesting or exciting? A 4.0 earthquake becomes a 4.6 and then a 5.0 and then a 6.4. A five car pile-up on the interstate becomes 10 cars and then 20. An old man who likes being alone in his apartment, refuses a wellness check and the police are called, becomes a sniper picking off students at the university half a block away.

God will not put up with His word being exaggerated or distorted. That is one reason why it is so important for us to study the Bible for ourselves. We need to understand what the earthly writer intended to say. When we convey it, we need to convey those thoughts and nothing more. God knows that we have a tendency to add to His words. Protect his words. Those who add to his words may have to eat their own.