Weekend Words

 From Secure in the Everlasting Arms...

A Dog's Thanksgiving

I remember fixing the wounded leg of my dog.  There was some struggle and a hurt crying but he kept licking my hand.  The hand of the one who was hurting him and the hand of the one who was healing him were the same, and his endurance of the one rested in his trust of the other.  "Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord" (from This Cup, by Addison Leitch [my second husband, who died in 1973]).

There are many lessons for us in the mysterious animal world.  Have we ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts to learn those sweet lessons?

Our Heavenly Healer often has to hurt us in order to heal us.  We sometimes fail to recognize His mighty love in this, yet we are firmly held always in the Everlasting Arms.  The dog's leg was hurting.  Add's ministrations were as delicate as possible, yet they hurt too, and the loyal dog accepted them and thanked him with his eyes.  Have we the humility to thank our Father for the gift of pain?

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). Let us give thanks!

From Beside the Still Waters...

Trusting the Shepherd to Lead - Read John 10:1-30

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." - Psalm 37:3

I had moved the cows to a fresh pasture after an inch of rain.  On a whim I decided to check on them.  What I saw made my heart race madly!  They had breached my hurriedly erected fence and were sloshing through my newly planted hay meadow, each step causing deep damage.  To drive them out was impossible; calling them was my only hope.  This would be tough.

I drove up close to the cows, then began calling as I turned towards the pasture they had just left.  Would they come?  A few lifted their heads indifferently, but then they began sloshing in my direction.  I kept calling and moving.  Would the distant ones come?  They did, but slowly.  When the cows arrived at the open gate, they stopped.  They seemed to be thinking, "this doesn't make sense - go back to where the grass is almost gone?"  Still I called in earnest, and they followed - why?  Only because they trusted me.

Our Lord leads us to green pastures and still waters.  We revel in the pleasant experiences of family worship and gathering around the Word in our congregations.  The social life of our church and community is very precious.  Then come tougher times.  Maybe God is trying to lead us where we don't want to go.  A new outreach?  An unexpected illness?  A need to downsize our business?  The loss of a loved one?  We don't understand.  We must wonder, "Lord, why?  Where do you want to lead us?  What are you trying to teach us?"

We may find ourselves balking like the cows because we insist on understanding before we can follow.  But even if we don't understand, we must "know his voice" and simply trust and follow.

 Lyle Hostetler - Shelbyville, MO

In utter trust behind Him they will tread,

They always know that from Him they'll be fed.

In confidence before them He will lead,

And wisely He fulfills their every need.

- Sandra Jantz