Just a dog…’

From Rev. Greg Odell,

Alexandria

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

–Psalm 37:4

The other night, when I was clearing the dishes from the table, a serving spoon flipped out of a dish and landed on the floor, splattering some of the leftover food onto the fioor. Our family dog was delighted to lick up the mess. When I spooned a few more leftover crumbs into his bowl, he was elated. He knows to expect this because this has happened a few times in the past.

Even though our dog has his own food while we are eating ours, he still rests his chin on my knee while we eat, hoping he may get a few leftover crumbs when we’re done. When my dog delights in the food I have prepared and shows his faithfulness to me to provide it, it makes me happy to give him more of what he desires

But our God treats us even better. He does not give us leftovers but the riches of His kingdom. We act like a bunch of dogs, barking at one another and muddying up His world, but He makes us part of His family through salvation. He unites us with Christ Jesus and gives us all the benefits of heirs of His kingdom: faith by the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, rescue from death, and salvation. God does this work, but our obedience and faithfulness to Him assure that we are present to receive His blessings.

Lord…. Thank you for making me part of Your family and for all of the blessings that come with it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.