I take a daily walk with my dog. Mostly she walks by my side, tuned in to my signals. Until she sees a rabbit! Suddenly, her animal instincts take over her brain. She strains to get away from me. If she could break away, she would chase the rabbits into tick- infested woods-- where she could get lost-- or across streets, where she could get hit by oncoming cars. I hold on tight to her leash, knowing that my dog will never catch these rabbits, but chasing after them could lead her into harmful situations.
In our daily walk with God, we face similar tempting distractions. We chase after decoys that divert our attention, break our communion with God. If we manage to break the tie that binds us to God, we too could end up in harmful situations.
Be wary of anything that fascinates us more than God.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Cor. 10:13 NLT)
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13 NLT)
Good analogy! I like it that he lets us loose too, though, to run with crazy joy too. And, then he whistles and we return. Dogs can teach us so much.
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