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Sit down with me as we think through some tough topics in a reflective way and examine some of the difficult issues that can trouble followers of Christ. My hope is that you’ll always come away with more to think about…
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- Who Will the President Pardon?
- What Does it Mean to Live by Faith?
- Doing Ministry in a Business-like Way?
- What Matters Now
- BC and AD
- Sodom and the Rest of the Story
- Didn't Paul Say, All Things Are Lawful?
- What Do Evangelicals Really Want?
- Messianics, Law, and Grace
- Jesus but not Paul?
- Have You Checked Out wonderofcreation.org?
- Vote today for. . .
- This Election and Emerging Churches
- A Conversation About Faith and Economic Uncertainty continued…
- Another Way to Look at Emerging Churches
- Life’s Surprises November 19, 2008No one watching Britain’s Got Talent (a popular televised talent show) expected much when mobile phone salesman Paul Potts took the stage. The judges looked skeptically at one another when the nervous, unassuming, ordinary-looking chap announced he would . . .
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Our Daily Bread
Subs are Subs Forever
Posted by Mart De Haan
August 23rd, 2008
Filed in Ideas to think about
My son and his wife asked us if we’d stop by their house and let out the dogs while they were out of town. We were happy to.
Just one problem.
They had recently gotten a new dog, a large bulldog that I had only met once. When I got to the house, he didn’t recognize me. Was too afraid of me to even take a treat from me. So needless to say, it took a few visits before he would let me get too close.
His “sister” knew me, but, as usual, had that far away look in her eye when “mom and dad” are away. She knows a sub is just a sub– and isn’t really happy until they get back.
Amazing how our own reflection shows up in the creation around us. Even our animal friends say something about us. These dogs are loved. But they’re not happy… and even a bit afraid, when “mom” or “dad” aren’t in sight.
So the prophet Isaiah lamented a long time ago, “Even the animals– the donkey and the ox– know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people… No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3).
Don’t want to make too much of what I see in our pets. Know you can only push it so far. But the fact that Isaiah indicated that our animals are sometimes closer to the truth than we are, says there are times to go to school on them.
Is it possible that one of the most important things we can learn from the pains and disappointments of this temporary life is that nothing… absolutely nothing… and no one… can take the place… and the space…that our Creator has built into our hearts for Him.
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August 23rd, 2008 at 10:30 am
I have to say that sometimes it is so eerie, how His truths speak to the depth of our being. I guess that is how come those that hear the truth before any head knowledge come to accept Him as the Savior as long as they are not in their head but in their heart. That is an example of brokenness, where we have let go of what we know (head) and open our hearts to pure love. A love that we actually have no idea the fullness of but can recognize that it comes from the creator of it (The Master). We recognize His voice!!!
August 24th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
“…it took a few visits before he would let me get too close”.
It takes more than a few visits into His word to actually ‘know’ who God is. That knowledge if not acted upon remains as head knowledge but when followed leads to solid trust!
August 25th, 2008 at 7:15 am
We have two outside dogs and this past weekend our grandson brought over his new puppy. Our two dogs are use to company as we have friends who bring their dogs when they visit. But are two dogs did not like this little puppy because they knew that our granson stayed with us so much while his parents worked that they felt threatened.
I very much agree that God is so wonderful in reaching out to us that He uses so many ways to reach each individual depending upon their characteristic and behavioral life. God alone knows how best to speak and we must remember that the Word of God is still not readily available almost everywhere around the world.
If the heavens declare the glory of God, why not nature and pets etc.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Man, this really hit me, especially that last paragraph! No one… and nothing…ca take His place in our lives! That is the sum total of our existence…our very reason for living. We are not going to be happy with substitutes. We were not designed for them…nor they for us.
Thanks, again, Mart, for putting it so well!
September 7th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Yes, I think I can relate to this. For example, when other people try to enforce their beliefs on me and try to get me to dis-believe in God - it is an uncomfortable experience. As far as pets/animals go… we had such an experience when after arriving home from vacation, we picked up our cat at the boarding kennel. While we were gone, she became fearful of anyone and everyone. The kennel staff asked my husband to please help coax her out of her cage. When he got to the cage, he saw that the staff had placed a sign saying “Cat bites and hisses”! When husband talked to the cat and offered his hand for a familiar sniff, she relaxed and allowed him to take her out. Personally, I know God continues to persist in reaching out to all persons ~ never giving up until we finally scoot up real close to Him.