Talking To The Dog 10/13/2017

Good Morning,

When the night is over I always welcome the day with a cup of Door County Coffee. Today my flavor is Door County Caramel Apple. My prayer for you is that all are well and at peace.

We are the proud owners of Gibbs our English Springer Spaniel. Gibbs is family to us. I will admit it right off. I do talk to our little buddy. I always say good morning and talk about things using His name in the sentence. When I am speaking in a friendly tone using his name his tail wags and he often moves closer to have a hand pet his head or scratch an ear. He is happy when I am speaking to him.

When I lower my voice to that of a whisper I can watch him fade off to sleep. The whisper seems to let him know that it's time to settle in and rest.  When I raise my voice if angry and say his name he can tell that I am upset and he tends to go to another room.

Although he can't understand all that I am saying, he knows my voice. I have proved it. There have been times when we have had to kennel Gibbs while we travel. When we return and arrive to pick him up I have seen him playing with other dogs outside and be oblivious to the truck pulling up. I have hidden behind the truck and talked to Rene in a voice not all that loud but clear enough that Gibbs heard me speaking. I did not call his name and he could not see me. He started to bark and look for me. He knows my voice and among all those dogs and some of them were barking I could pick out his bark. I know our dog. The other dogs did not respond to my voice. They did not know me. They never relied on me nor did they ever experience love from me.

Gibbs relies on us for his food, shelter, water, fun, love and correction. When he is ill or hurt we are  his nurse or I we take him to the vet. If a coyote approaches us while hunting I am his protection. He relies on us for everything. We have a close relationship with the pooch.

God is the same way. We rely on Him for our every breath, our guidance, our food, our eternal life, our instruction and our correction. He knows everyone of us. God still speaks and His voice can be found in prayer, His Written Word and at times through others. But are we so close that we can pick out His voice that all too often must sound through the distractions of the world? Do we know His voice and do we respond when He speaks? Jesus is our Great Shepherd and he had this to say about it.

John 10;11-30

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one"

Do you look forward to hearing from the Master.? Do you love unconditionally like your dog does? Do you appreciate all that God does for you? Do You obey His commands?

Enough said?

Marty