Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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Okay, I never voted for having a dog in our house. I think they sneaked her in when I was on a trip or something. Her name was Missy - a Shih Tzu, and the last time she went to this dog care place, they registered her as Missy Hutchcraft. Now that's my last name! There's no family resemblance, and I wasn't sure I want to give her my last name.
But I must confess, Missy taught me something I might never have understood. See, it was never hard to find Missy. When our son was home he was her master. So when he went to college, you never knew where you were going to find her in the house. But when he came home, oh it was easy. If you found him, you found Missy. If he was in the living room, she was in the living room. He was in the basement, Missy's in the basement. He was in his room, Missy was in his room. Missy didn't care where she was as long as she was where her master was.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Dog Walking."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Joshua chapter 14, and it spotlights an ancient Jewish hero named Caleb. When the ancient Jewish people had come to the border of the land God had promised them, Moses sent 12 spies in. Ten came back and said, "Giants, walled cities, no way we can take it." Two came back, Joshua and Caleb, and said, "Let's go for it! We've got God!" Ten saw how big the giants were instead of how big their God was.
Well, they got to wander for 40 years as a result of that, and a whole generation of unbelieving adults didn't get to go to the Promised Land. Forty years later, though, the Jews have conquered that land under General Joshua. And Caleb and Joshua do get to go in because they believed they could. Caleb is now 85, but he's still a tiger for God. Or better yet, he's a dog. That's actually what Caleb means - "dog." What a thing to name your kid, "Yo, Dog!" Listen, it's a great name when you understand why.
In Joshua 14:7, the 85-year-old man says, "I was 40 years old when Moses sent me to explore the land, and I brought him back a report according to my convictions. But my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear.
I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly." Then it says a little later in the chapter, "You, Caleb, have followed the Lord your God wholeheartedly." It says one more time later in the chapter "he wholly followed the Lord all the days he lived." Good dog! What a tribute! What an epitaph! I'd love it on my tombstone, "He followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly." Caleb is God's puppy dog. He doesn't care where he goes; he just wants to be where his Master is going and he'll follow Him there even if there are giants there.
That's what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 12:26, "Whoever serves Me must follow Me so that where I am my servant will be." See, if you love Jesus, you don't plan your life. You pray, you listen, and you look to His Word to find out where He's headed. Where is He headed in your day? Where's He headed with your family? Where's He headed with that relationship? With your ministry? With your child? And then you just go there right behind Him.
Missy let her master's steps determine hers. She followed my son wholeheartedly. That's what you're supposed to do with Jesus. Caleb wouldn't let anything make him leave his Master's lead. Not years in the wilderness, not hardship, not giants bigger than he was, not waiting a long time for what God promised, and not being almost the only one standing up for what was right. He just said, "I'll follow my Lord. I'll follow my Lord. I'll follow my Lord no matter where He takes me."
Could it be that under all that Christian head knowledge, all that activity, and all that Christianity you've lost sight of the simple, uncomplicated bottom line? You've just got to find out where Jesus is going and go with Him in that direction.
I hate to say it, but I want to be like Missy. Or maybe more like Caleb; not caring where I end up as long as I'm right on the heels of my Master, following the Lord my God wholeheartedly.