“Get in your bed, Belle.”
She raises a heavy hound eyebrow but remains otherwise unmoved.
“Bed, Belle.”
Still no movement. Her expression says, “No thanks. I’m comfy right here.”
Andy stands up and walks toward the kitchen. “Belle, get in your bed. Do you want a treat?”
Now she’s interested. She rolls over, stretches her legs, keeps an eye on Andy to make sure he isn’t bluffing, and slowly heads for her crate.
Belle only—only—performs for treats. No inner motivation from this girl. Often, we have to wave the treat directly in front of her nose before she’ll budge. Belle wants a reward, and she has to see it before she’ll obey.
The people listed in Hebrews 11 weren’t like Belle. They obeyed by faith, without tangible proof of reward. Noah “built an ark”, Abraham “obeyed and went”, and Moses obeyed “because he saw him who is invisible”. But where was their reward? “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised: they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” (Hebrews 11:13)
I wonder…do I have such faith? Do I truly believe that God will reward, and that His rewards are best? Or do I, like my basset hound, only obey when I see the reward I want already on its way?
“Yes, God, I’ll obey You in this…because You’ll ‘bless’ me financially for it.”
“Sure, I’ll obey…because people will praise me for a job well done.”
Obedience for a selfish, short-term “treat” isn’t what God wants. He wants faith. He wants me to believe Him for a better reward.
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)
Belle won’t budge until she sees a dog treat headed her way. But I must obey by faith, and believe God for His promised reward. I may not see it now, and I may not receive it on this side of eternity. But when God waits…when the reward is delayed…He has something better in mind. Something even better than what I think I want.
I must faithfully obey.
He will faithfully reward.
Other Lessons from a Basset Hound…
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