Are You Astray?

Our Golden Retriever, Dudley, is a pretty docile dog. He’s always been laid back…well let’s get real and say he’s just down right lazy. But if he sees an open door or a fence not latched, he’s gone. He runs off and when he was younger, he’d get pretty far down the road before we could catch him. We’re not sure why he runs off…he’s got it pretty good at home. We say that he’s addicted to freon, which is to say he enjoys the comfort of the A/C and all the food, water, and treats he desires. He gets table scraps, but more than that, if we’re cooking eggs, Dudley gets his own; if Dennis gets out a piece of cheese, Dudley gets one too. Almost every evening, he gets about a 30-minute golf cart ride during which he sees his buddies Jake, Max and Cass, along with rabbits and deer on the golf course. You may call him spoiled, but in our house, we say that he’s highly favored.  

Maybe the old saying, “the grass is greener on the other side” is true for dogs too…maybe he’s seeing if there is something better out there. We’re like that too, in our relationship with God. He has provided for us everything we need; He is merciful and hands out grace, neither of which we deserve. He’s a good Father and He takes care of us; He loves us and protects us. So why do we stray? Why do we go off and get stupid, running away from His security? If you think the grass is greener on the other side, it’s not long before you realize that the other grass still has to be mowed. The temptations that draw us away from God can seem “better” than what we have and they are very enticing, but the things that this world offers soon fade and/or produce more problems than what we thought we were facing in the first place.  

We had Dudley chipped when he was a puppy so that if he ever did get lost, a vet could identify him as our dog. We may not have a physical chip inside of us, but God knows exactly where we are at all times. We can read in Genesis, after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, that they hid from God because they were ashamed. God asked, “Where are you?” but He knew. When we stray from God and then find ourselves in a bind because the grass wasn’t as green as we thought, we sometimes are too ashamed to ‘return home.’ But God’s love for us is bigger than ALL our sin and stupidity. He can locate you and get you back on track when you call out to Him, ask His forgiveness and receive the blessings He desires you to have.