I owned a black lab named Bear for fourteen years, (or better he owned me). This dog was incredibly smart, trained to near perfection, and very well behaved. There was a two and a half acre pond in our backyard and I could take him all of the way to the backside of it and instruct him to “stay”.
I could then walk all of the way around the lake back to my house, go inside and fix a glass of tea and go back out on my deck and he would still be sitting there attentively waiting for his next command.
I would raise my hand and wave for him and he’d immediately take off running to me like the wind. I could blow my whistle and immediately he’d stop, sit down and wait for his next command. I’d wave him forward and he’d come forward. I could motion to the left and he would go left; motion to the right and he would go right. I could motion him down and he would lie down. It was sheer joy to watch him perform.
He was a wonderful hunting dog and retriever. He’d sit next to me in a duck blind and woe unto me if I shot at and missed a duck. He would look at me with sheer disgust and all but bite me. Incredibly, I had to acknowledge that I’d made a poor shot and apologize to him and promise to do better on the next shot, or he’d sulk.
He was a wonderful hunting dog and companion, but alas all was not “perfect” with old Bear, and just like the rest of us he had his faults. He knew what to do and he knew what not to do, but sometimes he just couldn’t help himself and violated the rules. Once we were at a park near my home and I saw him eyeing some tame ducks. I knew that he wanted to chase them and could tell by the look in his eyes that he was considering it.
I firmly told him, “Don’t you do it Bear. You know better than that!” At first I thought he would obey, but then he looked at all of those inviting ducks and then back at me and suddenly with what appeared to be a wicked grin on his face he suddenly took off after them like a jet leaving an aircraft carrier. I yelled at him to stop, but he just seemed to speed up.
Old Bear knew that he was wrong to do what he did, but he did it anyway. He knew he would be punished, when he got back, but he still disobeyed. He came back to me with one of those tame ducks flopping around in his mouth with a silly expression on his face and his ears laid back like he’d just done me the biggest favor in the world.
I released the duck and yelled at him, slapping him about the head and back and hurting my hand in the process. He just shut his eyes and took it and when I stopped he just shook off beginning with his big old head all of the way down to the tip of his sopping wet tail which he promptly wagged as he smiled at me with an appreciative look on his face; thankful that I was no longer mad at him and happy that life would once again be good.
Sigh…I wonder how many of us are like old Bear. We know we are wrong, we know full well that there is definitely going to be a consequence to our sin, and yet we deliberately go ahead and do it and violate God’s laws anyway.
I’m sure God takes no pleasure in punishing us, but He is Holy and demands our obedience and He simply cannot and will not tolerate our rebellion. If we are to avoid punishment and thrive, we must focus on Him and surrender more and more each day and avoid sin.
The best policy is to submit to God and obey His commands. He loves us and wants to bless us, but if we disobey Him, He’s going to give us a “whuppin” pure and simple. If we make a mistake and are punished, we should follow old Bear’s example and take it like a man.. err dog.
Submit to God today and enjoy life.
Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the
land;
But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the
sword