Bible Verse
“Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.” — Isaiah 48:18 NLT
Reflection
My Yorkie and I got into a highly emotional wrestling match today over his refusal to take his monthly pill. He’s never been that resistant before. But now, at 17 months old, he has a strong, feisty adult body, a stubborn Yorkie temperament, and very loud, definite opinions on what he will and will not accept from me.
I melted down because I started to worry the pill was getting soggier each time he spit it out. Was he even getting the benefit at that point?
Finally, a combination of Buddy Budder, a GivePet treat, and plain pumpkin puree all mashed together helped the pill go down and stay down. I have to hope and trust it all turned out okay and he got what he needed from that soggy pill. I know God is caring for him despite my incompetence!
I was concerned because I want my Yorkie to have the benefits he needs to stay healthy. He doesn’t understand that. He simply wanted no part of that pill. He kept turning his head, refusing to take it. By doing so, he dragged out the process and made it harder than it needed to be. We both ended up covered in Buddy Budder, which means a doggy bath later on, just to compound the insult for him.
It made me think of what it might be like for God as He watches us when we don’t listen to Him. He allows a situation for our benefit, our growth, our transformation. And we simply resist it. We turn our head and squirm, trying to avoid it. What must that feel like for God?
Granted, it’s not an exact comparison. I’m trying to help my dog in the only ways I know how as a human pet parent. God, of course, has infinite ways of caring for us, and His ways are not thwarted by our resistance. But when He sees us resist or refuse to listen, or simply not stay still long enough to hear, He knows we will have to go around the mountain again.
I can imagine He doesn’t want that for us. Bad enough we went around once. But again and again? It’s not unlike the unpleasantness my dog went through on those multiple pill attempts. If he had just swallowed it the first time, he could have moved on to enjoy better things.
God is ever loving, steadfast, faithful, the person of perfect peace. He doesn’t melt down at our resistance, the way I did with my dog. But when you read Isaiah 48:18, you can hear the heartbreak in His voice. He wants His best for us. The more we resist, the longer it takes to experience that best: His peace.
Prayer
God, please help us be open to Your leading, Your prompting, Your correction, Your best for us, so we don’t have to go around that mountain again and again. Help us step into Your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Thought for the Day
Take some quiet time today to seek God’s best for you in this season.
