2003-02-23 - Are you Runnin' in the Street?

Part 3 of Series on Derek's Dog

In this devotional, I will talk about following the will of our Master. We must realize that God's will is the only way we can live our lives.  We have to be able to forget our own wants and let God have control of our lives. He is the only One that knows what is best for us.

When I wake up in the morning, I let the dog out into the front yard. She will run as fast as she can into the yard, because she loves going out front. Sometimes she will run so fast down the driveway that she can't stop in time to keep herself from sliding into the street.  However, she knows she is not allowed in the street, so she imediately runs back into the grass. She has learned that the word "walk" means she gets to run around and explore new areas of the world. The only limit set on her when she goes for a walk, is the leash.  She is forced to stay within the leash length from me, and she cannot run around and explore anything. She is forced to follow my will. If she tries to run away, she is held back by the leash and is protected by anything that may hurt her.

Many times in our lives, we try to run around like wildlife and explore our world. We iendulge in fantasies about our dreams and what we want our futures to be. We sometimes even get too excited and run too far. So far that we run right over God's boundary. We have a choice in this life to do whatever we want. If we choose to run into the street, God will let us do that. But He can't protect us from that oncoming car. God gave us free will to do whatever we want, but the only way we can ensure that our lives turn out for the best, is to give our lives over to God and follow His will.

In Matthew 6:10, Jesus teaches us to pray by teaching us the Lord's Prayer. He says "your will be done." It is so important to follow God's will, that Jesus mentioned it in the most basic of prayers. God knows what is best for us, just as i know that my dog cannot run in the street, because she will get hurt. She may not know that she will get hurt, but neither do we know. We don't know if what we choose to do will cause us harm. However, if we give our lives to God and let Him control it all, He will not let any harm come to us.

The only thing that is different about me and my dog, and God and us, is that God will let us do whatever we want - while I will not let my dog do whatever she wants. She may hate me for it, but she does not realize that I am protecting her from things she doesn't know about. This is not to say God doesn't care about us. If we give our lives to Him, He will do the same thing that I do with my dog. He will tell us, lead us, to do things that will satisfy His will and keep us from harm.

We have to have the self-control to stay at God's side during our "walks". It is our choice, because we don't wear leashes. If we want to run away, we can; He will let us go. So are you able to walk with your master? Should you have a leash? Do you run in the street?

The Word of God, For the Children of God, "Thanks be to God."

God Bless,

I love you all,

Derek

derek@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org