01.08.21.—Worldliness!—1 John 2:15-16
My friend, may I ask you a question? Are you and I are like old dogs that choose to chase the world around them instead of staying put on the porch where God safely put them in the first place?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I’m M. Clifford Brunner
There’s an old dog that lives along my route to work every morning. It’s a grizzled old black lab that’s laying on the front porch of a farmhouse just over a rise in the road. No sooner does my car come over the rise and out he darts, right to the edge of the road and the chase begins. He pretty much keeps up with me, barking and snapping at the tires until I reach the end of his imaginary lot line, where he abruptly ends his chase but continues the bark until I fade away in the distance. I’ve often wondered what he’d do if he ever actually caught my car. Would he sink his fangs into one of my tires and spin round and round? Would he smash himself like a kamikaze pilot into my passenger side door?
You and I are like that old black dog when we choose to chase the world around us instead of staying put on the porch where God safely put us in the first place.
Here’s a story: A lion came across a hare, that was fast asleep. He was just in the act of seizing her, when a fine young deer came trotting by. He took one last look at the hare and decided that bigger game was the better choice. He left the hare to follow the deer. The hare, scared by the noise, awoke and quickly ran away. With that, the deer took off as well and the lion began the chase in hopes of bringing down the bigger meal. After some time, the lion was unable after a long chase to catch the deer. It had outrun his best efforts. So, he decided, to return to prey upon the hare. On finding that the hare also had run off, he said, “I am rightly served, for having let go of the food that I had in my hand for the chance of obtaining more.”
Christians should always be content with what God gives them in the first place. When we attempt to pursue the pleasures and the materialism of the world, we may ultimately lose everything. God always gives us a choice. We can choose, like that old black dog, to chase something we can’t catch, or we can choose to stay put, safely where God put us. Ultimately, chasing the world is like a dog chasing a car. If we catch it, what would we do with it any way?
We pray. Heavenly Father. As Christians we should always be content with what You give us in this world pilgrimage we call life. Forgive us Lord when we are not grateful for the things You have given us in Your grace, but seek after things that we do not have, but thing we need or simply desire. Father, when we attempt to pursue the pleasures and the materialism of the world, we may ultimately lose everything. You always give us a choice. We can choose, like old dogs, to chase something we can’t catch, or we can choose to stay put, safely where You put us in the first place. Ultimately, chasing the pleasures of this world is like a dog chasing a car. If we catch it, what would we do with it any way? Eventually we’d have to let go of something we can never possess forever. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.
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