Casandra Martin

God can teach us lessons in the most unusual places.

Yesterday I was taking a walk with our dog, Shelby. Shelby is a sweet little sheltie mix who came to be a part of our family about six years ago. She was a rescue dog who never ceases to be grateful for a family to love.

Shelby and I were walking through the streets of our neighborhood. Normally my mind is focused on other things, but today I was watching Shelby and noticing how God was using her to teach me about walking with Him. Shelby always walks by my left side. She stays put. If I go faster, she keeps pace. If I slow down, she is right there with me. If I stop, she sits and waits. While she is walking, she turns every few seconds to look at me. If I veer a little to the right or the left, she moves with me. She keeps her ears tuned to my footsteps. Any change in the rhythm causes her to check and see where I am. She learned how to walk with me this way because she undergoes obedience training.

Walking with God is a matter of obedience training. That is what the law, commands, and expressions of will are meant to do. They are not burdens to be carried. They are training tools that teach me how to be obedient so I can best walk with Christ. They help me stay right by His side. I want to keep pace with Him – measure my steps by His movement, rather than my own tendency to hurry up or lag behind. I want to keep my eyes on the Lord. I want to always check to make sure that He is in my line of vision – that I am measuring where I walk by where He is. I want my ears to be so used to hearing His steps that any change in His movement catches my attention and calls me to match my steps with His.

My Jesus Resolution is a resolve to enter into obedience training. To let God shape my life to His glory. To surrender my will so that I can be conformed into the image of Christ. To learn to be so aware of His presence that a mere glance will tell me where to move.