Dogs are endearing pets. One reason they are so endearing is that their faces express our own emotions. No doubt you have seen a faithful dog looking earnestly in the direction of a sound, perhaps looking towards an object that his eyes cannot yet clearly make out, but that he senses by a distant sound. He does not know whether it is friend or foe. His ears hear far better than his eyes can see. He trusts his nose to discern what his vision cannot clearly make out. While the dog thus looks towards that distant object, and when he finally is able to make out that it is his master, the dog's uplifted ears and furrowed brow relax in calm delight. His tail wags with joy.
So it is with the anxious believer. Uncertainty looms in everything our fleshly senses detect. We sense danger all around. But we have learned to rely on objects known only by what God-given ears of faith can make out, which physical eyes have never seen (Heb. 11:1; 2 Cor. 5:7). God-given discernment of the truth that is in Jesus is more reliable to our mind than all of our physical senses received from our mother at birth. In uncertain times, when our understanding of present circumstances raises our ears and furrows our brow in anxious anticipation; when in those times we hear the familiar sound and clear voice of our Master from His word, our entire body relaxes. Our eyes smile. We immediately know that all is well because we hear our Master’s voice. He speaks. We know it is Him. He is at hand. We are glad that it is Him. He is come to us by His word and Spirit (John 6:63). Nothing else matters! Thus, we find our response to His words in Psalm 90.
“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:1-2)
It is our Master’s voice! It soothes our inner man (2 Cor. 4:16; Col. 3:11). His voice soothes our mind and calms our body (Mark 5:15).
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations [out of all nations, Jews and Gentiles] whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Psalms 86:7-13).
Thus our Master speaks: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalms 46:10).
I want to be a one Master dog. I want to be only my Master's dog (Matt. 15:21-28). I want to be a faithful little dog, like Caleb. I want to look for and listen at all times to hear the voice of Christ my Master. Our sense of trouble in this life raises our anxiety. Uncertainty looms all around. But the voice of Christ from His word in our hearts concerning His eternal will, concerning His finished work, concerning His certain salvation of His people to the uttermost by His reigning power and intercession on the throne of heaven, even salvation of sinners infinitely more dependent upon Him for all mercy and life and light than little dogs are dependent on their master — who wait under their master's table for food, who constantly look to see their master’s face and look for a glance from his eye — His presence known by His voice from His word is what we long for and live upon!
Our Savior and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to our heart from His word. This is His soul-comforting glance to us from His eye: “Thou art God alone” (Psalm 86:10). “From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalm 90:1-2). “Who works all things according to the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11). He has spoken of our certain and eternal salvation (1 Pet. 1:2-5). He shall also do it and without fail, shall bring it to pass in perfect completion and fulfillment (Isaiah 46:10-11; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 13:20-21).
Our entire body, like the face of an anxious, faithful dog waiting for the return of his master, relaxes in comfort and delight at the sound of our Master's voice. May we find our life and all in our Master, Christ. May we know His presence as we hear His word. May we trust only His voice and find all of our salvation and all of our comfort only in Him (Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8).
The world is preoccupied with a virus that may infect our bodies. Let us know that the one virus we should be concerned with is the plague of our heart. It is that plague that should drive us to call upon the LORD, trusting the great Physician to heal our souls (1 Kings 8:38)! The LORD hears all who call upon Him. None that call on Him shall be ashamed of their hope. They shall not be put to shame on the Day of Judgment. Their disease of sin has passed upon Christ. He has borne it all away. By His stripes we are healed (Romans 10:9-13; Isaiah 53; 1 Pet. 2:24)!
So it is with the anxious believer. Uncertainty looms in everything our fleshly senses detect. We sense danger all around. But we have learned to rely on objects known only by what God-given ears of faith can make out, which physical eyes have never seen (Heb. 11:1; 2 Cor. 5:7). God-given discernment of the truth that is in Jesus is more reliable to our mind than all of our physical senses received from our mother at birth. In uncertain times, when our understanding of present circumstances raises our ears and furrows our brow in anxious anticipation; when in those times we hear the familiar sound and clear voice of our Master from His word, our entire body relaxes. Our eyes smile. We immediately know that all is well because we hear our Master’s voice. He speaks. We know it is Him. He is at hand. We are glad that it is Him. He is come to us by His word and Spirit (John 6:63). Nothing else matters! Thus, we find our response to His words in Psalm 90.
“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:1-2)
It is our Master’s voice! It soothes our inner man (2 Cor. 4:16; Col. 3:11). His voice soothes our mind and calms our body (Mark 5:15).
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations [out of all nations, Jews and Gentiles] whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Psalms 86:7-13).
Thus our Master speaks: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalms 46:10).
I want to be a one Master dog. I want to be only my Master's dog (Matt. 15:21-28). I want to be a faithful little dog, like Caleb. I want to look for and listen at all times to hear the voice of Christ my Master. Our sense of trouble in this life raises our anxiety. Uncertainty looms all around. But the voice of Christ from His word in our hearts concerning His eternal will, concerning His finished work, concerning His certain salvation of His people to the uttermost by His reigning power and intercession on the throne of heaven, even salvation of sinners infinitely more dependent upon Him for all mercy and life and light than little dogs are dependent on their master — who wait under their master's table for food, who constantly look to see their master’s face and look for a glance from his eye — His presence known by His voice from His word is what we long for and live upon!
Our Savior and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to our heart from His word. This is His soul-comforting glance to us from His eye: “Thou art God alone” (Psalm 86:10). “From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalm 90:1-2). “Who works all things according to the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11). He has spoken of our certain and eternal salvation (1 Pet. 1:2-5). He shall also do it and without fail, shall bring it to pass in perfect completion and fulfillment (Isaiah 46:10-11; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 13:20-21).
Our entire body, like the face of an anxious, faithful dog waiting for the return of his master, relaxes in comfort and delight at the sound of our Master's voice. May we find our life and all in our Master, Christ. May we know His presence as we hear His word. May we trust only His voice and find all of our salvation and all of our comfort only in Him (Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8).
The world is preoccupied with a virus that may infect our bodies. Let us know that the one virus we should be concerned with is the plague of our heart. It is that plague that should drive us to call upon the LORD, trusting the great Physician to heal our souls (1 Kings 8:38)! The LORD hears all who call upon Him. None that call on Him shall be ashamed of their hope. They shall not be put to shame on the Day of Judgment. Their disease of sin has passed upon Christ. He has borne it all away. By His stripes we are healed (Romans 10:9-13; Isaiah 53; 1 Pet. 2:24)!
Rick Warta
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