Strays

Jeremiah 32:38
They shall be My people, and I will be their God;

Have you ever had a pet? I have a dog; he is a stupid dog, but he’s my dog nonetheless. He wasn’t always my dog, however; he came into my life as a stray. He was all alone as a puppy, found wandering the streets of Statesville, NC, hungry and scared. I don’t know where he had come from or what he had been through. He could have been dumped out of a car or wandered off from a home. He had no tags, no identification, and no owner and I knew one thing: he needed a safe place to live. The people who found him knew that I would take him; that’s why they called me!

This stray little puppy, who was lost and alone in the world, now has a safe place to stay. He has become part of my family. He stays inside my house. He sits on my furniture right along side of me. He eats my food, enjoys my company, and rests in a safe environment.

When I think about how Trooper (that’s his name) came into our lives I can’t help but think about my relationship with God and how He came into my life. I think that’s the key phrase: “...how He came into my life.” Just like Trooper wasn’t looking for me when I found him, I wasn’t looking for God when He found me. I was lost and wandering in the world. I had no provider, shelter, comfort, or security; I only had me.

This is why God says, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God.” It’s the order of things. Trooper didn’t decide one day that he would be my dog and I would be his owner. If he had thought that to himself, I wouldn’t have needed to go to him. He would have come to me, found me, and moved in. But that’s not what happened. Instead, I went to him. I had to go to where he was and rescue him. I had to decide that he would be my dog, and I would be his owner. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s there.

This is what God, through Christ, has done for us. The truth is that if left to ourselves we would never know how to get to God. We’re like stray, lost puppies. God knew that we’d never find Him; that’s why He came to us. He sent Jesus Christ to the world to find us, redeem us, and bring us into His house.

Trooper did nothing do deserve what he has at my house. Truthfully, there are times that he deserves to be back out on the street! But he isn’t, not because of his love for me, but because of my love for him. The same truth stands for our relationship with God. We have done nothing to deserve what He has in His house, and, truthfully, there are a lot of times that we deserve to be thrown back out. But God operates in grace with us through Jesus Christ. It is because of His love for us that we are able to stay in the presence of God, not our love for Him.

My dog, Trooper, enjoys all of the benefits of being part of my family. He has a roof over his head, food and drink, and protection from the storms. But more than that, he enjoys the comfort of a fluffy couch to sit on, treats for doing nothing, toys, rides in the car, and some quality howl time with the entire family.

Friends, this is what we have with Christ. We aren’t just given the “essentials” of life: food, clothing, and eternal security. We are given the blessings that come with living in the house of the King. Fellowship, fun, games, health, wealth, prosperity, happiness, and rest are all part of the deal too!