So, I take my dogs for at least one walk a day while my husband does the other walk. They cannot run loose in our yard, so these walks are very important to their livelihood and ours! While I enjoy this time to enjoy nature, there is a routine frustration involved with this daily routine.“NO…don’t eat that.” “ Drop it!” “You cannot eat that!” “Ugh…again.. I said NO!” “Please stop eating everything laying in the road!”
This is literally what I say to the dogs every single time we take a walk. They love to eat mulch, wood chips, bugs, roadkill, and so on. Why is eating these things bad? Yep, you guessed it, they cannot digest these items and it makes them sick every time.
Recently, I proclaimed, “why can’t you understand that eating that will make you sick later?” While I already knew the answer to this question, God still spoke to me in this moment. He clearly impressed upon me: “That is how I feel when I talk to you, Sheri.” OOPS! Guilty as charged.
God has provided, in His word, all the ways we should live in order to be full of joy and feel satisfied in Him. But we don’t do it. We continually go “eat” the things we know will make us feel sick. We keep going back to the slavery of sin rather than relishing in the freedom He sacrificially gave us! Galatians
5:1 states: “It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”We know that living for this world and it’s pleasures is not bringing joy but just more burden. We become enslaved to earning more money, working harder at sports, continually redecorating the house, exercising more, seeking the next perfect relationship, and so much more. Have we forgotten that HE SET US FREE! We don’t have to become enslaved again to the things of this world. They will never satisfy. They will continually disappoint and we will hear God saying, “No, don’t eat that!”
Seek the Lord and ask Him in what ways you have allowed yourself to become enslaved again rather than living into the freedom He gave. Spend some time this week asking God to help you turn away from those fleeting pursuits and focus on His face.
