Doggie Nose Smudges

February 5, 2021January 28, 2021 | lindamowles

If you follow The Ruminant Scribe regularly, you are probably tired of hearing about our two miniature pinschers, Cuddles and Snickers. Their antics are legendary, well, not legendary but to us they are terribly funny!

At times other than during the Christmas season, we have a sofa that is in the living room under the picture window. The “girls” love to sit on the top of the sofa and look out the window, scanning the street for anyone who would dare walk in front of the house. Indeed, one of the things we love is coming up the drive and into the carport while we see their faces watching for us from the back of the sofa. Of course, they are barking little dogs. Thus, they sit on their perch and bark like banshees when someone walks along the road, only to be quiet when the person is out of their view.

While we are eating in the dining room, we have this view of them! It is humorous because they are always in the same relative position. Cuddles on the left and Snickers on the right.

The last couple of days, however, we have had rain and extreme fog. So much so that we could not even see the house across the street, and the canine banter was severely hampered (praise the Lord)! They still watched outside but they couldn’t see anything!

This morning, however, the girls were, again, sitting on the sofa while we were having breakfast and the sun was shining outside. All at once I saw it.

!!!! Doggie Nose Smudges !!!!

Their nose marks were all across the front window. As long as the fog and clouds were around, I did not notice them. But when the sun hit the window, the smudges were clearly in view.

That started me thinking.

When we are not walking in the Lord’s will, when we have intentionally failed to help others, when we ignored the cries of the widow, or when we have stubbornly refused to share our funds with those less fortunate than we, we are tempted to think that God is not paying attention. Or, perhaps we think that God does not see what we are doing. Or, perhaps we think we are immune to such actions because we pay our money to the church!

But, when the light of His Word shines in our heart’s window, we see clearly and it is not a pretty picture. We see the ugly, sinful smudges we have made on the window of our heart, and we need to repent and confess our sin.

Jesus said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39

Do we do this? Do we honor God and love Him with all our heart, mind and soul? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? What would our life look like if we obeyed these two commandments?

Regarding the ten Commandments, do we follow them? I dare say that most of us have not committed adultery or murdered anyone. But what about worshipping anything other than God? Have we made money, fame, family, status, profession, … more important than God? Have we become our own idol, putting ourselves in the place of God? All these idols can supplant the place appropriately reserved for God, the Father Almighty.

Or consider coveting. That is not a term that is in high use and demand these days, and probably for an amazingly simple reason – it is not something we want to be condemned for. We lust after other people, we crave attention, we covet the possessions others have that we do not. Coveting is something that is so common in our society that we don’t recognize it, but it is pervasive and it is sin.

What about the Sabbath day? I remember when the blue laws prohibited the sale of anything on Sunday; not so now. Everything can be sold on Sunday. Or what about taking the name of the Lord in vain? I remember when there were certain words that were banned from music and television, not so now. Anything goes, even to the point where many of us blush and change channels because of the language, sex and violence portrayed.

Does the Christian have to follow these “old” laws? I answer that question with a question – Does the character of God change from age to age?

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
Psalm 90:4

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Perhaps we need to refocus and remember that the Old Testament is the basis for the New Testament. We may be in the post-resurrection period of time, but what God detests in the Old Testament He still detests today. His character does not change.

I hasten to add that we are in the season of grace because of the salvation we have been given through Christ’s death on the cross. Forgiveness for sins is available to us in a way that the Old Testament folks could not imagine. But, sin is still sin and we must confess it and repent.

Jesus said:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27

Be guided by the Good Shepherd and follow Him all your days. Confess where we have gone astray, ask for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ, and redirect your attention to what God says in both the Testaments of the Bible.

Ask God to cleanse the smudges from your heart and rejoice again in the clear, clean joy of God’s salvation.

Father, I pray that You would forgive me when I have disobeyed Your commands. Increase my love for You Lord and guide me all my days.

JUST WANT TO BE NEAR!

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 | lindamowles

Cuddles and Snickers love to travel with us, at least when we are not going to the Vet’s office! Then, they are not quite so happy about it.

But, on our recent travels, they enjoyed looking out the windows and, when there were long times between stops, they would fall asleep … something that dogs seem to be able to do with great ease! But, for their safety as well as ours, we could not take the risk of having to move the vehicle quickly with them loose in the cabin, exposing them to falling down the steps, slamming into furniture, etc. Also, we did not want them to be able to get under our feet near the accelerator or the brake pedal. That would have been a recipe for disaster, to be sure!

The solution was a leash and harness attached to the seat belt on the floor. We thought we had the leash short enough so they would not get in the way while we were moving along the highway, but at one point I looked down and saw this. The two of them had wriggled the leash in such a way that they could reach the space between us. Cuddles had her nose on the engine compartment while Snickers had her back touching it.

It was as if they were saying “We just want to be near you. We’ll be asleep, but we can sleep better with you right here!”

I believe they were feeling secure. They didn’t understand that the roadway was going past them beneath their feet, or that the scenery was changing as we were going down the highway, or that towns and cities were passing by them without trouble … they knew they were near us and that is all that mattered to them.

Once again, the canine daughters were teaching me a lesson. Security in our Lord is available each and every moment of our day and then through the night, even when we are sleeping and unaware of anything.

The Psalmist wrote:

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”

Psalm 5:11

David further recognized the love God has for His people when he wrote:

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Psalm 86:5

Of course, our Lord Jesus talked about rest in Him when He said:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:29

These verses reinforce the concept that we are to rest in Jesus, God is loving and will protect us from harm, that is, we are secure in Him for eternity. I doubt that these concepts were in the dogs’ minds when they were reclining on the floor of the RV. But I do think that they understood that we were there so that they were not frightened, even of all the strange sounds and vibrations that they may have felt. They were secure in our love. They just wanted to be near us.

So, how are we near to our Lord Jesus Christ? We see Him when we read the Scripture. The Bible is all about God and our Lord, from beginning to end. We see Him when we meet together to worship Him. Believers can encourage and enlighten us as we live our lives in Christ. We see Him when we look at His creation. While the creation alone cannot provide saving grace, the fallen creation is still evidence of His power, majesty and glory. Let creation speak to you and raise your voice in worship and thanksgiving to Him. We see Him when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide our thoughts and actions.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10

Be still before God. Read your Bible and meditate on its words. Worship and be under the preaching of Bible teachers who live what they preach and who preach about Jesus Christ as seen in scriptures. Fellowship with believers who can encourage and support your growth in Christ. Beloved, be near to Him — He is always near to you!

Be secure and rest in the Lord and be thankful for His sacrificial love.

Father, I thank You for sending Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for my sins. I pray that I would give honor and glory to you through His blood, and that, through faith alone, I would rest in Him for my salvation. Grant me peace and security as I travel the road you have placed before me.

THE LAST WORD

June 26, 2018June 25, 2018 | lindamowles

We go camping fairly often and, when we do, we frequently take the dogs with us. Years ago we had retired racing greyhounds as our canine daughters, and they LOVED to ride in the RV. They were quiet and never barked, even when we were in the campground. Perfect traveling companions.

Goldie and Sweetie in Pace Arrow — Goldie and Sweetie on sofa in RV

Now, as the hounds have passed on, and thinking that greyhounds were too big for us to handle, we have two small MinPin canine daughters, Cuddles and Snickers. I frequently refer to them in posts as they provide never ending illustrations, usually of behavior that we should avoid!

Cuddles and Snickers - did you call us — Are you writing about us again?

We have been trying to train them not to bark when we are in a campground. That is no small task given the fact that there are people (many of whom have their own dogs on leashes) walking past the RV, there are campers coming and going, there are people talking outside around the campfire, there are just noises upon noises all beckoning the girls to bark.

For Snickers, this no-bark concept is especially difficult. We don’t know how she was treated before coming to us, but she is very defensive and the hackles on her back raise at the slightest sound, which she then barks and growls at for an extended time. We have used various techniques and we are on the way to getting her to behave better, but we have found it curious, and humorous, that she has to have the “last word”.

She will start to bark and we say “No bark”, she will shut it down a notch and after several rounds of this between us she will put her head down, grumbling in doggie language, with one final subdued “woof”. If we say “No bark” after that “woof”, she will whine and then even more softly go “woof”. It is as if she has to have the last word.

All this background is to say that, if we are honest, we really are no different from Snickers. Consider for a moment Moses when he was saw the burning bush. The Lord told him that he was to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses raised numerous objections detailing why he could not do it. Exodus 3. The final “woof” was Moses’ cry “please send someone else”! Exodus 4:13. Scripture says:

“Then the Lord’s anger was kindled against Moses.”

Exodus 4:14

No more excuses, Moses. Do what I direct you to do and I will be with you. Moses obeyed, God had the last word.

We humans think we can have the last word, but in reality, it is God who always has the last word.

We are lost in sin, we cannot stop ourselves. We may be able to do some nice things for others, but there is almost always a self-centered aspect to our activity. We are the center of our universe, and we think that this entitles us to have the last word about anything that touches us or our own universe.

This attitude ignores the cosmic reality that we are nothing, we are created beings who depend upon the Creator for our very life, for the air we breathe and for each beat of our heart. Satan is ruling us because of our sinful nature, but God even has the last word in that regard.

When Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, it was not because of any sin that He had committed, rather it was because He was taking on the sin of all God’s children. Jesus was paying that price that God’s justice demanded so that those who believed in Jesus would be saved from eternal death. Just before He died, we read these words:

“… ‘It is finished’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

John 19:30

Jesus did not just mean that it was time for Him to die. He meant that the job He came to earth to do was completed. There was nothing more that needed to be done to save His people, to satisfy the debt that they owed because of their sin. The way of salvation was completed, it was then and it still is finished. Sin had met its Conqueror, and God had the last word.

God will again have the last word as we see in the final book of the Bible, Revelation.

So, Beloved, rest in the Lord. When He is leading you to do something, do it without giving in to the temptation to try to get the last word, the final “woof” if you will. God always has the last word. Don’t test His patience, just raise your arms to your Father and thank Him for loving, guiding and encouraging you through whatever is ahead of you.

Father, please forgive me when I have insisted on having the last word. Enable me to see that this is disobedience of the highest order. I pray that the Holy Spirit would touch my heart when I am tempted to disobey and run in my own arrogance away from what You desire for me. Enable me to love You more, through Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Redeemer.

“DON’T DO IT! UH UH -NO!”

May 15, 2018 | lindamowles

It seems that we have recently focused on our canine children as illustrations of spiritual lessons for our daily lives. Today is no exception as our MinPin doggie daughters, also known as “the girls”, have once again tried our patience.

We have tried to “train” the girls to stay put in one place while we are eating our meals. The original intent of this routine was to stop them from barking while we are eating, and also to stop them from begging during the meal. It has, for the most part, stopped the barking. But, it has not been as successful with the begging.

Usually their “place” is the living room sofa as we are eating dinner in the dining room, in full site of them. When we have finished our meal, we will say “you’re through” and they are to come bounding up to the table for a good girl treat, thankful to their parents that they are being so wonderfully rewarded. That is what is supposed to happen.

What actually happens is that they go to their “place” right away when we tell them to do so as we are sitting down to the table. Then, when the wait is too long or if the aroma is especially exciting to them (such as the smell of bacon), they hop down and come over to the table where we are sitting. At first, they would just run over and jump up at our side to tell us that they are there. We, then, point to the sofa, say “Uh Uh – No, go back, place” and they run back, jumping up on the sofa and sitting as if they were good girls.

If we are engaged in serious conversation during dinner, they become stealth doggies. They slide off the sofa and sneak through the kitchen so we don’t see them walking around. Then they cut between us to get under the table in the hopes that something will have fallen through a crack. We find out that one or both are under the table when we move our feet and hit something. Then, we again, point to the sofa and say the dreaded words “Uh Uh – No, go back!”.

I suspect that we are not the only ones that have this experience. However, aside from the humorous smiles that their actions might induce, there is a parallel with my own life experiences and obedience, and it is not at all humorous.

As long ago as when the law was given to the Israelites, God said:

“So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 22:31

Again, in the wilderness they were told:

“You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”

Deuteronomy 13:4

God is serious about our being obedient to His commandments. In fact, Jesus used obedience to His commandments as the test of our love for Him.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. … Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:15, 21

In full recognition of the fact that we could not keep Jesus’ commandments through our own power, Jesus told His disciples that, after His resurrection and ascension into Heaven, the Holy Spirit would be sent to help them do that which He commanded them.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.“

John 14:26

Moreover, the Holy Spirit seals us in Christ. He is the surety, the guarantor of our salvation.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,”

Ephesians 1:13

Indeed, one of the Holy Spirit’s assignments with respect to believers is to transform us into the image of our Lord and Savior.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Romans 8:29

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2

When God has told me to stay in a difficult situation, I try to jump out of it, a classic definition of disobedience. When I do, it is as if I hear the Holy Spirit saying “Don’t do it. Uh Uh – No!”. Often I obey that voice and repent from my attempted jump of disobedience. But, there are times when I disobey intentionally and then, too, I must repent of my arrogant disobedience and seek forgiveness, asking the Spirit to strengthen me so that I am able to resist temptation.

God has given us His Word and His Spirit who indwells the believer in Jesus Christ. The Spirit transforms us and renews our mind so that, as we are sanctified, we are conformed to the image of Jesus. But that process is not linear.

By that I mean, it is not a smooth road toward transformation. We struggle and fail to obey the directives that are clearly given in Scripture and brought to our attention through the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord that when we have been disobedient, the Holy Spirit still is within us and He will tenderly guide you back into relationship with Him and with our Lord if you will confess your sin and repent.

Next time you see your canine or Homo sapiens children disobeying your directive, stop and ponder whether there is something in your own life for which you need to confess and repent. Is there some act of disobedience that you need to address? Is the Holy Spirit saying “Uh Uh – No!”?

The Psalmist knew the sweet fellowship with God that confession and repentance provides when he said:

“Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”

Psalm 32:2-5

When David sinned, and kept silent, he was tormented day and night because of his guilt. When he turned to God and confessed his sin, he was forgiven and he could say “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity”. Happy is the one who does not stand before God covered in the guilt of his sin.

Doggies patiently waiting — Obedient doggies!

Praise God that the Spirit says “Uh Uh – No!” preventing us from sinning, but praise God also that when we fail to be obedient, we can be restored to full fellowship with Him through confession and repentance.

Father, I praise You for Your Holy Spirit and for the work that He does in my life as He guides me and leads me in the path that I should take. Thank You too that Your Spirit also stops me from disobeying and, when I do sin, that He leads me back into the fold. I praise Your Holy Name.