Love for the Master

You cannot see this video without shedding some tears if you have a heart and love animals, so warning, get your hanky ready:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/dog-saves-owner-from-house-fire-canine-tragically-dies-in-blaze/

Now the obvious application you may draw from this spiritually is what Jesus Christ did for each of us. I think of a great verse in Romans, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (5:8).  How long has it been since you received Jesus as your Savior?   Maybe it’s been a good while, maybe not so long.  I can remember quite clearly the day I did, June 16, 1977 (yeah, I know some of you weren’t even a twinkle in your parents eyes yet).  After realizing I was headed to hell for being a sinner and put two and two together and that I needed to ask God’s forgiveness and accept Him as my Savior I did that and experienced a peace immediately upon being saved. Then in the days that followed  saw clear changes in my thinking and actions indicating this was very real.  No one could convince me then that even though I was not in existence in the first century, that the cross and resurrection did not happen, they clearly did !  And as God led me to a great church to hear great preaching I grasped even more what Christ had done for me and grew to appreciate it even more.

I wondered watching that video, am I still just as moved by what He’s done as that man was by what his dog did to spare his life?   We have to be careful about this, the Ephesian church was a great church when Paul wrote them but around 30 years later we have the Lord Himself assessing their hearts in Rev.2 and He commended them in some areas but the one stinging indictment was this: “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee , because thou has left thy first love.”  (vs.4).   Oh how easy it is to become complacent, to be come callous, to become cynical and forget the love of God for us !  Often we become those ways because we focus on sinful men not a sinless, loving God.  Maybe that’s why we have the ordinance in our churches of the Lord’s Supper, hmm?

Why not take a little time to assess your love for Him today?  Confess where needed, let go the bitterness towards men and forgive as God has you, thank Him for that fantastic love and grace and let it then spur you on to do whatever it is He has for you to do today.  If a dog is willing to die for his master,  shouldn’t we live for Ours?!!