I don't know who came up with that quote but it's a good one and it's a true one.
Have you ever been around a dog that has been abused by humans? You put out your hand to pet him, he cowers. You tell him to come to you, he turns away. You try to coax him with food, he whines. All he does for the first couple of days is just sit in the corner and watches your every move. He's just waiting to be hurt by you even though you're not the one who beat him.
After a couple of days pass and the dog has watched you relentlessly put food out for him, call him, and attempt to play with him, the dog decides to trust you just a little because the pain in his stomach is stronger then the will to not trust you. Plus, he's been around you the past couple of days and you seem harmless. You put food out and he gives you this look of fear as he slowly approaches the food bowl. Once he gets there and starts to eat, he is constantly turning back to look at you to make sure you are not going to punish him for eating.
After about a week or so, the dog will actually walk towards you with head down so you can pet him, although he still won't trust you enough to come when you call his name because before when he heard his name, he was being beaten or harshly spoken to. Finally, after a couple of weeks the dog will sit in your lap, sleep with you, wag his tail when you call his name and feel free enough in your home to pee on your carpet, knowing full well your love for him will keep him from being punished too harshly for his bad behavior.
Now, let's take this dog and turn him into human and turn his new owner into God.
You, in this lifetime, have been hurt. You've been beaten, raped, molested, cheated on, abandoned, or some other incredulous act that has not been viewed as a form of love by any means of human reasoning.
You've heard that there is a God. You sense there is more to life than what you see. But, you can't get past your hurt to believe there is a God, especially a God of love.
God, like the new owner of the dog, is putting food out for you, he is calling you by name and he is wanting to comfort you but you, like the dog, are too afraid because of past hurts to trust him. Not only trust him but trust his love for you.
So, how do you get to know God's love for you? How do you even begin to trust his love?
You do like the dog. Eventually, your starvation for truth and your starvation for a deeper satisfaction in this life will draw you to the food. Which could be church or his word. As you start to "partake" of his word you still will look behind you to make sure that punishment or hurtful things are not coming your way. When you see things are getting better, you will start to listen when God calls your name. You will find comfort in his arms. You will learn to trust his voice and obey him because you trust his love for you.
Of course, this trusting of his love doesn't come over night, just like it didn't come for the dog overnight either. It takes time and lots of it.
I'm speaking from experience. I've been the dog. I've been the one to not trust because I didn't understand or know God's love for me. I'm still not 100% living in his love for me but I'm learning to hear his voice when he calls, go to him and trust that he just wants to comfort me, bring me satisfaction and let me sit in his lap and rest. The more I go to him when he calls, the more I'm learning to trust his love for me. As I learn to trust his love, I learn to follow his leading. I want to be lead by someone who loves me and knows what's best for me.
Some people don't understand why people won't obey God. I truly believe it's because they don't understand or get God's love for them. I don't know about you but I'm not going to follow someone I don't trust. I'm not going to follow someone that I don't know loves me. How about you?
So, why would God let something bad happen to me in the first place? I don't have the answer for that. I wish I did. I do know this. The person that beat or hurt the dog was a mean person. I'm just thankful for the new owner who wanted to take the dog and love it, feed it and take care of it. My God is just that. I truly believe if you will just begin the process of trusting just enough to get a small bite to eat, you won't be disappointed.
I want you to know that God loves me, I can trust him and God loves you and you can trust him. Just give him a chance, just go to him and you will see!
God cares and he loves and once you figure that out, you will care how much he knows and that is the beginning of life!
Dear God, please let everyone who reads this begin to trust you and your love for them. I pray that from your glorious, unlimited resources that you will empower them with inner strength through your Spirit so that Christ will make his home in their hearts as they trust you. That their roots will grow down into your love and keep them strong. And may they have the power to understand, as all your people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is for them. May they experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then they will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from knowing you (Ephesians 3:16-19)! Thank you so much for your love for me and everyone. In Jesus name, Amen.
Living Loved,
Elizabeth
P.S. You know how once the dog gets comfortable with the new owner he feels free to pee on the carpet because he knows he won't get into trouble. Try not to do this, it will become a temptation to pee on the carpet because God's love for you is unfailing!
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