On a Leash - Martin Wiles

I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. Psalm119:67 NLT

One was large and the other small, but they both needed to learn a lesson. 

I once owned an Eskimo Spitz. My family owned a much larger dog who I inherited when they moved away. 

I lived in the country. There were no leash laws to abide by, so they scampered through the woods and open fields, played in the swamps, and chased wild animals. 

Then it happened. They took up with a pack of wild dogs. Previously, they had returned home every night; now they only came home periodically. The next time my Eskimo Spitz came home, I leashed him. I was never able to catch the larger dog, and he soon became wild like the ones he followed. When I moved away, one dog came with me; the other continued to run wildly. 

I’m not much different than my two dogs were. I have a tendency to wander. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with a little innocent wandering, the wandering I’ve done wasn’t innocent and it wasn’t in God’s plan. 

Sometimes the wandering didn’t start off sinful but quickly led there. I knew who provided for me just as my dogs knew, yet I wandered anyway. 

For my Eskimo Spitz, the discipline came in the form of a leash. It was the only way I could keep him at the house and away from unsuitable company. Had I unleashed him, he would have run again. Wandering was in his nature. 

God deals with my wandering nature through the leash of discipline. The forms He uses vary, but they are each perfectly designed to accomplish His purpose of keeping me home and away from unsuitable company—whether people or things. 

Closely following the teachings of His Word will go a long way in keeping me focused on spiritual rather than fleshly escapades. 

The leash I used was literal. God’s comes in other forms but is designed to accomplish the same purpose. Thank God that He loves you enough to discipline you when you stray. Then stay close to His Word so your tendency to wander will be tamed. 

Prayer: Father, we ask You to leash our sinful wanderings and keep us on the path of godliness.  

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