{"id":32223,"date":"2021-05-30T03:30:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T10:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=32223"},"modified":"2021-05-28T16:15:38","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T23:15:38","slug":"may-30-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2021\/05\/30\/may-30-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"May 30, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cTherefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,<\/em> looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.\u201d<\/em> Hebrews 12:1-2<\/p>\n

Fetch<\/h2>\n

Walk His Way Revisited<\/em><\/p>\n

We have a big golden retriever named Cooper. We love our Cooper but he isn\u2019t a very good retriever. We often take Cooper to the school down the street, into the backfield where there is a huge open field to run and fetch a ball.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s how it usually goes. I fling the ball. Cooper locks in, and sprints to the ball. Then I have to yell quick enough and loud enough at the very moment he retrieves that ball, so he will lock eyes with me and bring it back. If I don\u2019t get his attention soon enough, he is off. He begins running in the opposite direction to chase a squirrel or see if the school kids left Cheetos on the blacktop. The problem with this is that it is a huge field and somewhere along his journey to the Cheetos he drops the ball and it takes me forever to find it again. But, if I get his attention right as soon as he scoops the ball into his mouth, if he locks eyes with me, then we are good and Cooper is flying back to me so we can do it again.<\/p>\n

This past weekend, Cooper was the naughtiest dog he has ever been. No matter how loud I yelled, he wouldn\u2019t lock eyes with me. He ran off. Way off. Apparently there was a smell in the mud that he had to rub himself in. But I was tired of trying to get his attention and so I let him go for it. Fine, I thought, get all dirty and then you\u2019ll have to have a bath (which he hates).<\/p>\n

It got me thinking, because as he ran off, I actually said out loud to God, \u201cI\u2019m Cooper, aren\u2019t I?\u00a0The minute I take my eyes off of You, I am running full force ahead in a different direction.\u201d Call it squirrel syndrome, but what it really is, is the lust of my wicked heart that desires what Jesus says is not good for me. Mud puddles that might initially be fun to jump in but leave me all dirty. When I lock onto the eyes of my Father, I don\u2019t run\u2014I revel. I know God doesn\u2019t give up on me, like I do on Cooper. I know He doesn\u2019t desire a bath to be my punishment. But I do think sometimes He allows us to have our way and reap the consequences of jumping in the mud.\u00a0The amazing thing is when we crawl out, all covered in the filth of our sin, He is right there waiting to wash us off.<\/p>\n

Romans 6:1 says, \u201cWhat shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

My prayer as I write this is:<\/p>\n

That we would LOOK hard and long into the eyes of Jesus.<\/p>\n

That our eyes would be FIXED on Him.<\/p>\n

That we would be CAPTIVATED by our Lord.<\/p>\n

That our gaze wouldn\u2019t be broken every time we see a \u201csquirrel\u201d or smell a Cheeto.<\/p>\n

Jesus, FIX our eyes on YOU, the author and perfecter of our faith.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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