Safety

Total Dependence

Barbara Kain Parker Inspirational , , , , , ,

Sheba in CarrierYour enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour…[but] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  1 Peter 5:8b & John 10:27-28

Without me, Sheba would be in big trouble; lost, alone, starving, too hot or too cold, or even dead; because, considering where we live, a coyote would most likely have her for dinner. In fact, four of them rushed us one night when we were just outside our front gate, and had Sheba not been on a leash so I could pull her to safety she would’ve been gone.

I am also totally dependent on my master.  Without Him I too would be lost, alone, starving and dead—Satan would ‘have me for dinner’.  I would have nothing; no peace, love, or joy; and, especially important, there would be no everlasting life with my Father.  With Him, I am truly safe.

I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.  Psalm 92:2

In or Out of the Box?

Barbara Kain Parker Barbara Parker, Biblical Insights, Devotional, Inspirational, Parables, Pug Parables , , , , , , ,

scan13colorIt is for freedom that Christ has set us free…So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. Galatians 5:1a & John 8:36

 Sheba has a dog-crate in which she’s often lived for extended periods of time—it’s a place where she is safe, but it’s also a place where her movement is limited. She’s in a box and she reacts in two different ways. Usually she’s content—in fact, she seems to love it, either sleeping peacefully or lazily watching the world go by in front of her. At other times she rebels and wants out; and she makes sure everyone knows it by her continual barking, as well as pawing at the sides of the crate; but regardless of how much she whines, she can only get out if we open the door. Once she’s out, the better-behaved she is, the more freedom she generally has. As an older lady with much better manners than she had as a puppy, Sheba spends very little time in her box—she is usually free to roam around the house as she pleases.

Perhaps we’re very much the same—but the boxes we live in are of our own making—they’re places where we think we’re safe—places with emotional or attitudinal walls that we’ve erected to keep other people out. Like Sheba we may be very content most of the time—sitting back, relaxing and just watching the world go by. But while our boxes may be quite comfortable, they’re also limiting for there’s no challenge; no potential for growth. So there comes a time when we get restless because our needs seem to be unmet, or our hopes and dreams don’t seem to be coming true. But we feel trapped—we can’t get out of our boxes—and there seems to be no way to open the door to freedom.

But our Master can unlock the doors to our self-imposed limitations. God can break down those walls—the barriers that prevent us from being all that we can be, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17b)

If we allow him to open the doors and we step out in faith, we can explore, grow, learn and mature. Pretty soon our boxes are no longer necessary. In fact, we may find that they’ve become too small and we no longer fit inside!