Another glorious day the Lord has made. The blue heavens are covered in bird feather clouds, so pretty as I watched them form and change shapes, some stretching out like angel wings. I walked Penelope down the broken sidewalk next door taking photos of the day’s prizes I saw — the huge dinosaur foot of the old oak tree, a pretty gray bird feather, some orange blooms in an old wheelbarrow, and a lone red zinnia under the bird feeders. I love seeing nature in unexpected places. After walking Penelope I sat in my purple yard chair reading a book. Penelope was content on her leash, taking a sunbath in the warm sunshine.
The dinosaur foot of an old oak tree.
A gray songbird feather.
Some orange blossoms in an old wheelbarrow.
A lone red zinnia under a bird feeder.
I started to wonder what it would be like to be confined to a leash, the leash holder setting the course, reining in the freedom of choosing a path. Then I thought if a person has no faith they wander aimlessly through life with no true purpose. We trust God to lead us so maybe we believers are tethered to our faith in God. God serving as the master leading us through life. If you aren’t anchored down to God you’re lost, tied to a life without joy. Scripture says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” Psalm 23:1. This scripture tells us God provides for us and guides us as a shepherd does his flock. God doesn’t force us to be obedient. Free will gives us the choice to live our life with God’s guidance. Without God we wander aimlessly with no direction, no meaning, no purpose to our existence.
God tightens and loosens his hold on us as our faith is tested. The trials and tribulations of everyday life help us grow spiritually and refine our faith. James 1:3 states, “the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Our faith matures through our prayers as we put our trust in God, learning to be patient in our faith as we wait for God’s guidance. “Believing God has purposed our days will save us from the trouble of stepping into plans that aren’t meant for us,” Lysa TerKeurst.
God doesn’t promise we won’t stumble through life but he does promise to walk beside us to support us and to guide us. Psalms 37:23 reads, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”
“A long leash is not freedom.”— Marty Rubin
Ponderings from the Porch Swing 