3 Spiritual Lessons My Dog Taught Me

Last Monday, I had to say goodbye to my dog and long-time companion, Romeo, an Australian Shepherd. Although I found out that he had been suffering from a type of inoperable cancer called hemangiosarcoma for a long time, it came as a sudden shock for me--he hardly even let it be known that he was ill until the last few days were upon us. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that he's gone.

Romeo was a very unusual dog.  I know a lot of people say that about their dogs, and they're probably right.  My dog was very intelligent, like his breed, and for all intents and purposes, he could talk.  He couldn't actually speak English, but he could communicate complex things like questions and opinions to me through body language. He used his special skills to teach and to train, and I believed God blessed my life through him. I think it's time to pass on a few lessons my dog taught me, direct from a Greater Master.

Lesson1: Knock Until You Get an Answer

A few incidents stand out in my memory. Some were "all dog," but quite a few were something more than that.  For instance, when he was a new pup, everyone in the house would go outside at the same time to play with him, and frequently, all but one of us would go back inside, absentmindedly locking the door behind us. That last person would have to circle the house, knocking on windows until he or she had drawn enough attention to get the door opened. Romeo would follow that person, observing the whole scene closely. Then, one day, we heard a pounding at a back window, looked around the room, and realized that we were all inside!  We rushed to the window to investigate, and there stood Romeo. He had one front paw on the brick windowsill, and he was batting the window with the other one. When he saw that we had all gathered, he tipped his head way back in a "come on out" gesture, and hopped down. We never taught him to do that, but for the rest of his life, when he needed us for something and we weren't outside, this was how he would let us know.

This was a good reminder for me of Jesus' words, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened," (Matthew 7: 7-8 NIV).  I pray that, just like Romeo, you have a good enough relationship with your Master that you know that all you have to do is knock if you've got a question or a need, whether you're hungry or thirsty, or something alarming is going on in your life, or you're just feeling lonely.  I also hope that you won't give up easily (Romeo didn't), or think that just because it's 3 a.m. He won't show up (Romeo didn't believe that, either).  The fact is, God cares much more than people ever could, and He wants more than just "ownership" of us--He wants a relationship with us.  He wants more than our obedience; He wants our love.

Lesson 2: Repent Quickly

 I recall going out one morning to feed Romeo and finding him at the door with fresh blood smeared all over his snout. Romeo was in an exceptionally gleeful mood, and he kept bounding toward me and walking a few paces away, which was his signal to follow him. I did, with fear and trembling about what I was about to see, but when I got around the corner of the house, fear turned to shock and anger. He was coming back to me with a big, goofy grin on his face, dragging along a large section of metal rain guttering that had been installed just the night before.  He had pulled it off the side of the house during the night and had cut his mouth on it!  I was speechless, but the expression on my face must have told him everything he needed to know. I remember the grin melting off of his face, and he dropped the guttering and ran away from me--the only time he ever did, because I never hit him--and he followed me quietly, at a safe distance, as I picked up the guttering and took it to the garage. On the way, I remember looking at him over my shoulder and shouting, "I can't believe you did this!" It was the last time I ever shouted at my dog, too, because from that day on I remembered the look of pure, limpid-eyed shame on his face as he crept closer and licked my free hand. Who could stay angry after an apology like that?

I believe that animals are sinless creatures, and that they don't really know the difference between right and wrong. However, I feel Romeo modeled the kind of repentance that God wants from people.  Romeo didn't know that he was doing something wrong, so he didn't try to hide from me like Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden.  Similarly in contrast with humans, when he found out that I was displeased, he took full credit for his actions, stopped them immediately, and asked for my forgiveness and renewed friendship. If only humans could learn to do the same! God is quick to forgive those who repent, and it is written, "a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise," (Psalm 51: 17 NIV). I might add, God requires us to treat our fellow man with the same anxiousness to forgive (Mark 11: 25).

Lesson 3: Don't Let Pain Take Away Your Joy

I have heard of seizure dogs, or dogs that signaled to their masters that a heart attack or earthquake was coming.  As far as I know, Romeo lacked those abilities, but we jokingly referred to him as the "bruise sniffing dog."  If anyone got injured, he knew about it.  He could locate bruises and lick them through layers of blue jeans, t-shirt, or socks, even if they were several days old and happened when he wasn't around. One time, I fell and twisted my ankle badly while playing with him. He acted deeply concerned, ran to my side, and lay down next to me for a few minutes.  When the pain had started to subside, he jumped up and started energetically licking my face and swatting at me with his paws until I jumped to my feet. As soon as I was standing, he was ready to play some more.

The message was clear enough--life is too short and too wonderful to sit around moping for too long.  Romeo was a joyful dog who rarely let anything get him down, even cancer.  He welcomed sunshine, rain, and snow with equal enthusiasm, and so should we.  Every day was created by God to be celebrated with Him (Psalm 96: 10-13).  Pain comes and goes, but we should live our lives with the joy of the Lord, that is, a joy which is deeper than just happiness, filling even our grief with hope. 

Our hope and joy is founded on our knowledge that one day, all the hurt and brokenness and ugliness of this world will be taken away when Jesus comes back to renew it and heal those who know Him.  I don't know if Romeo will be there, but I do know his lessons will be. God is taking care of me. Romeo was another symbol of God's goodness. I know that it's going to be alright.

Rosh Hashanah: God's Lordship and His Coming

Today marks the first of the "High Holy Days" on the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year's day.  I'm talking about it today, because it bears greater symbolic significance today for the world than it has, perhaps, in previous decades.

Image from this site

This holiday is traditionally celebrated by blowing the shofar horn (which gets its significance from Numbers 10: 1-7, and Exodus 19: 16-19) and eating symbolic foods like honey and apples. The horn signifies God's leadership and lordship over mankind, and is also blown in praise of the Lord.  The honey and apples represent a blessing for a "sweet new year."

The Jewish people believe that on Rosh Hashanah the Lord opens His records on every person to review the sins and pass judgement at the beginning of the new year. His judgment is "sealed" 10 days later, on Yom Kippur (the "Day of Atonement").  This means that from today until Yom Kippur, Jewish people all over the world will be contemplating their deeds over the past year, and seeking to make atonement for the wrongs they've done, so that God will "seal" them in the Book of Life for the next year.

Significance for the World

While Christians do not have to observe this particular traditional holiday, they should at least contemplate the spiritual and symbolic meanings it has to the Jewish audience. The day also means something to Christians and Muslims (but I'll get to that).

First of all, in these troubled times, it would do us good to stop on a day like this and think about the lordship of God, and His authority, which gives Him the right to pronounce absolute judgment over our sins.  As my parents put it often enough to me, "If the Lord was to come back right now, what would He think about what you're doing?"  We talk a lot about the blessings of God or the salvation of Christ, but we ought to remember to consecrate our daily lives to God's service, as well.  God has been abundantly merciful and generous, "not wanting anyone to perish," (2 Peter 3:9 NIV), but He desires our obedience, and deserves honor from us!  I believe God is always watching, throughout the year and not just today, and that the standards He has shared with us in the Bible are boundaries He holds us to, as people who know Him and seek Him.  If sin was grave enough that Jesus had to die to atone for it, it should not be treated more lightly by those He has redeemed!

Secondly, the shofar of Rosh Hashanah has significance to those who are waiting for Christ's return. The Bible says that Christ's second coming will be heralded by horns, just as in the days of Moses (Exodus 19: 16; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).  This has prompted many Biblical scholars to suggest that the Second Coming could very well happen on Rosh Hashanah or some time during the 10 days before Yom Kippur.  I don't know--Jesus Himself didn't tell us when He will come back--but it certainly is possible, and the perfect symbolism of this timing would make sense, since Christ's death and resurrection, as well as the day of Pentecost, were timed according to Jewish festivals.  If Jesus came back this week, it would be wonderful, but I suggest being prepared for His coming, whenever it could happen. It would be best for the Lord to find our hearts ready and watching for Him throughout the year (Luke 12: 35-37). 

Finally, the day is significant in light of world events this week. I would be insulting the intelligence of everyone in the Middle East if I failed to point out that the widespread violence there is occurring during the holiest week in the Jewish calendar, with rather significant timing. The anti-American and anti-Jewish speech I've already been hearing for a week seems perfectly timed to blot out this Jewish holiday, and to show aggression toward the Jewish race. It might be important to point out that the New Year of the Islamic calendar starts at sundown on November 14th this year, but it draws its name Ras as-Sanah from Rosh Hashanah, as well as some of its traditions.  In light of all of this, I now better understand what Israel's Prime Minister meant in a tv interview I saw yesterday, in which he said that in the Muslim's eyes "We are the same [the U.S. and Israel]."

I choose to accept this cheerfully (Matthew 5: 11-12)!  This is just another reason why Christians should pray for peace throughout the Middle East (Luke 6: 28), for the "sweetness" of the coming year, and for the salvation for many souls!

So, in summary, this week is significant because of the cultural meanings to the Jewish people and the world.  It is also an important reminder for Christians to contemplate their lives in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.  He could very well come today!

P.S. As an interesting note, although I am not Jewish, this holiday has personal significance to me, aside from all that I just discussed, because I accidentally timed the completion of the first draft of my novel for September 26th (Yom Kippur this year). The novel just happens to cover a lot of the topics significant to this holiday! Ironic, huh?

See you here next week!  As my Jewish friends would say it, Shana Tova (A good year)!

Weekly Snippet: Humble Yourself

I have been reading Daniel again this week, studying each chapter for details I might have previously missed.  This time I found myself comparing the lives of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.  Neither could be called good men, but one was brought back from the brink by the decision to humble himself before God.  The other despised God to the swift end.  Can we learn something from even these atypical role models?

I can contextualize much of their thinking by pointing out that the kings of those days were often seen as gods among men--literally.  You may not be familiar with early Babylonian history, but you are probably familiar with the god-kings of Egypt.  When ancient kings (almost the world-over) spoke of carrying off the kings of a country, they were saying that they were more powerful than the gods of the kingdoms they had conquered (see Isaiah 10: 8-14).  In fact, they were exalting themselves as supreme gods among lesser gods.  No humility there!

Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar were no different.  Unfortunately, they chose to glory in their conquering power over the "little" God of Israel.  This can be evidenced by the godlike tone of statements such as this one from Nebuchadnezzar: "[I]f you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" (Daniel 3: 15).  Belshazzar knew where those golden goblets had come from, yet he praised other gods and ignored the God of Israel (Daniel 5: 2-4). They had no respect for a God they thought they had defeated, but God wasn't playing their games. He gave them their power and all their victories; they were His tools, not His betters (Isaiah 10: 15-19).

Both men, mind you, were terrified by the power they suddenly encountered when God showed Himself to them.  Who can stand against God's wrath?  Nebuchadnezzar was warned when he saw the three Hebrew children walking in that fire, and he immediately ordered that their God be shown more respect--by others, and not exclusively, mind you (Daniel 3: 28, 29).  Later, he had a dream predicting his imminent destruction, and he heard Daniel's counsel to humble himself before God, to avert this judgement (Daniel 4: 27).  He forgot this for a year, but in the end, he learned his lesson and honored God.  How strange it must have been to his court to hear a conquering "god" praising the God of a conquered country as the "Most High," whose power even he couldn't question or deny (Daniel 4: 34, 35)!

Contrast Nebuchadnezzar's change of heart to Belshazzar's behavior on the night of his defeat.  Belshazzar, like his predecessor, was equally terrified by this appearance of God--the hand writing on the wall.  Again, from Daniel's lips he heard of his kingdom's imminent demise, and he was urged to humble himself (Daniel 5: 18-23).  Though the Bible doesn't explicitly say that Belshazzar scoffed,  we get the idea that he did.  Though Daniel had asked him to keep his gifts and give his high appointments to others, he ordered the fine robes and the proclamation anyway (Daniel 5 : 29).  I see a mockery here that is parallel to the mocking of Christ before the crucifixion (Matthew 27: 27-31).  That very night (as secular historical records corroborate), Darius of the Medes disguised himself as a palace guard and killed Belshazzar while his men took the rest of the capitol.

Fatal Hubris

I have spoken before of the tendency in all people, since the days of Adam and Eve, to be filled with the kind of pride that causes us to aspire to godhood.  The Bible is full of so many examples of these so-called "gods" who dared to challenge God, saying, "By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding," (Isaiah 10: 12 NIV).

Today, I don't think I need to rerun the facts.  We should read the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and take heed of the lesson.  Shall we be like Nebuchadnezzar, who needed seven years of Divine punishment to drive him to repent?  Worse still, will we scoff at God's power when He sends us a warning on the eve of our demise?  I would personally rather humble myself before blows or final warnings have to come.  How about you?

Something to think about over the weekend.  As always, thanks for reading!  This is my reminder to stay savvy and bow to the Most High, before He humbles us.

"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.  By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.'"All who have raged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame." (Isaiah 45: 22-24 NIV)

Weekly Snippet: Light and Dark at The End of All Things

Last night I read Isaiah chapter 2, which is a prophecy about the end of the world.  Many of the scenes depicted in that chapter are mirrored by prophecies in Revelation, Daniel, Jeremiah, and others. After reading this passage, as sometimes happens, I fell asleep and dreamed about end times events.

That dream brought some insight into one symbolic thing that we see often in end-times prophecies: light and dark.  What does light symbolize in Biblical prophecy?  What is the significance of the absence of light?  It's a rather deep and general concept, so today I'm centering in on the significance of the moon and stars in these prophecies.

My dream began in my back yard, looking up at the night sky.  The stars looked like rhinestones that kept popping free of the velvety black sky, falling, and vanishing.  It wasn't a meteor shower, because these were stars I recognized from constellations like Orion, and when they fell, the constellations vanished.  Meanwhile, the moon was full and the sky was cloudless, yet it was getting darker and darker outside.  The face of the moon had turned a dark shade of charcoal, until it was barely distinguishable from the dark sky around it.  The overall effect of a darkened full moon and the loss of all of those stars made it very dark outside.  Very, very oppressively dark, until even someone who doesn't scare easily would be troubled by the almost-tangible darkness.  It was frightening to be outside, like a huge hand was pressing down on the world.

The Absence of Light

When I woke up I finally understood why this phenomenon--the stars falling and the moon being darkened--appears so frequently in the Bible as a sign of the end of the earth (Isaiah 34: 4; Matthew 24: 29).  Light is a symbol of God's presence, favor, and sovereign rule.  The loss of that light is the signal that God is turning away from the world because the offense of sin has finally driven Him to judge and punish it.  It's a symbol that few will misunderstand, even if they have never heard the words of Scripture.

The Bible starts out with a description of the creation of light and darkness (Genesis 1: 3-5), and the heavenly bodies come later in creation, in verses 14 through 19.  The emphasis in the creation of the moon, sun, and stars, is that they are "governing" bodies, and even in the darkness of night they are present and governing the world.

Besides things like controlling and timing tides and seasons, the moon and stars are there to represent God's justice, and His continued attention.  You see, sin loves the cover of darkness, for fear that it will be exposed by the light (John 3: 19-20).  The moon and stars are light even in the midst of darkness, showing to those who lurk in darkness that God is still watching and seeing everything, and comforting those who follow Him with the promise of God's constant presence, even in dark, seemingly-godless times.  There is another positive message that they send: Even those who live in rebellion against God still benefit from His mercy for now, as they wait for God's complete justice to come (like Cain in Genesis 4: 13-16).

The removal of these stars and the moon is a signal that even that mercy--delayed punishment--is being removed.  Though sin loves darkness to cover it, the need for the protection and guidance of light is still felt.

The Presence of Light

The symbolic representation light as God's presence, justice, mercy, and guidance is also very prevalent in end-times prophecy.  Isaiah 2: 5 says, "Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord," (NIV 2011).  This parallels the Revelation passage that describes the New Jerusalem and the new earth with these words, "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever," (Revelations 22: 5 NIV 2011).

God's presence is light in a literal sense at the end of things, even as it is now dimly symbolized by the moon and stars at night.  Meanwhile the absence of light is justice and judgment felt and seen, as Jesus described Heaven and Hell when He said, "I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the [sinful] kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matthew 8: 11, 12 NIV 2011; see also Matthew 22: 8-14).

The evil people in Isaiah's day benefited from the delayed mercy and continued presence of God in Israel, until the day that God turned away from the nation of Israel and cast them completely into the "darkness" that they had chosen, which brought their destruction at the hands of invading armies (Isaiah 2: 6).  Similarly, evil people to this day benefit from God's mercy (not to be confused with approval for their sins), but one day the whole world will be judged.  On that day, God will turn away, and the absence of that presence will be tangibly felt.


This, I believe, is why people will seek the cover of caves when all of this comes to pass.  They will be searching for a place where God's light (judgement) will not go, where they will be safe, yet they will not find it.  Wherever they go, they will need light to travel; wherever they hide, God's presence can go.  There is no depth where God's presence can't be felt.  As Isaiah wrote, "Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty! The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day," (Isaiah 2: 10, 11 NIV 2011).

My prayer today is that even in the darkest of times, we will see and recognize the presence of God, and at all times we will search our hearts for evil, so we will not be afraid to walk in God's revealing light.  He doesn't want to cast us out of His presence!  He sent Jesus to be our light, as it is written, "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him, " (John 1: 9, 10 NIV 2011).  May we see and recognize that light, and cling to Christ, who can save us, so that we will never have to suffer the crushing judgement of the darkness!