Puppy Dog Eyes

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd August 6, 2020 - Filed in Devotional - 4,492 views
  For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Proverbs 24:16 WEB
  
  She was a black and tan dachshund chihuahua mix named 'Lady.' I adopted the little dog after she found herself homeless and on the street. Apparently she had been abused in the past. Whenever she did something that she thought was wrong, she would tuck her tail between her legs, walk away slowly, and hide behind the couch. If she even heard a loud voice on the television, she assumed that it was her fault, and that I was mad at her. No amount of coaxing would stop her or bring her back out. Because of her past, she wrongfully assumed that all communication aimed at her was negative.
  
  Eventually she would peek around the corner with those sad little puppy dog eyes, so hurt that she had disappointed me. I would catch her peeking out, give her a warm smile, and she would bolt into my lap and lick me like I was some kind of tall, delicious, lollipop. She was so overjoyed that she was accepted. Then she would claw her way under my shirt, curl up and go to sleep, happy and content.
  
  So many times when we stumble in our Christian walk, we just want to withdraw from everyone and everything. We believe that God is mad at us, so we hide, scared to face what may be coming, fearing punishment. Our past treatment causes us to only see more of the same abuse, and we can have a hard time trusting God. We begin to feel like 'They all hate me.'
  
  Our God is not mean, and Jesus has already paid for every sin that you have committed, and every sin that you are going to commit in the future. He even paid for the sins of your great grandparents, and those of your great grandchildren. We only have to ask, and we are accepted.
  
  Failure is an event, not a person. It is a blip on a timeline, and not your life. There is nothing to hide from. When you come out from behind the couch, you will find that you are accepted. You can happily be snuggling in your Father's arms again.
  
  We hide just as Adam hid from God in the garden, and it is up to us to come back out. Like with Adam, God will call to us, but He won't force us to come out of our hiding place. When you fall, get up, keep going, keep moving forward. Jesus is not mad at you, and He will welcome you right back into His loving arms with no condemnation at all. You don't have to hide.
  
  Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your loving kindness today. Please forgive me of my past. This is a new day and I am turning over a new leaf. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I will live it for You, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
  
  Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress
  
  
  

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