Waiting for the Master

“But our citizenship is heaven,

And from it we eagerly await a Savior,

Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:20

I really want you  to take a close look at the picture of the dog I am posting with this blog.  I took the picture the other day outside our neighborhood grocery store.  Notice that the dog’s leash is not tied to anything.  The dog could easily have walked away, run away, gone anywhere it wanted.  But it didn’t.  The dog stayed right where you see it in this picture.  It was there when I went into the grocery store and the dog was there, standing in the exact same spot, 15 minutes later when I came back out.  I thought, what a great dog –standing there obediently waiting for its master to return.  That’s when it struck me.  That’s us – living life in this world as we wait for the Master, wait for Jesus to return. 

I don’t know about you but that dog puts me to shame.  As the dog waited for its master, it did so obediently.  It stayed right where its master had told it to stay. The dog could have wandered around.  Its master would never have known where it wandered or what it did.  Too often that’s exactly what we do.  When we think no one is looking we do or say or think all sorts of things that we shouldn’t.  We live our lives like children whose teacher has left the room.  We think we can get away with anything and not get caught.  That’s when we get in trouble.  That’s when we wander away from the Master.  That’s when we risk getting lost.  That’s what might have happened to that dog if it had wandered off.  But it didn’t.  Instead it waited obediently for its master.  Yep puts me to shame.  What about you?

You know that you and I have the same reasons that dog had for waiting obediently.  That dog knows its master loves it.  That dog knows that its master has never failed to take care of it. That dog trusted its master.  Such trust is the source of obedience.  That why that dog stayed there, in that same spot, obediently waiting. WE know those things too..  WE know that our Master loves us.  He gave His own Son.  His own Son took on flesh and blood to die for our sins and rise again that we might have life.  He cares for us.  He forgives us. He gives us family, friend, church, neighbor… all that we need.  He listens to and in His own way answers our prayers.  WE know that if He did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, He will freely give us all things.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  From such truths are born the miracle of faith… faith that waits obediently for our Master.

One final observation about the dog – it was standing.  The dog never sat down.  That dog was expecting its master to return at any moment.  That dog wanted to be ready.  That’s the other great blessing that is the fruit of faith – expectant hope.  We trust Jesus.  We believe He keeps His promises.  Therefore we live our lives eagerly awaiting our savior!  We know our Master, our Savior will come for us… is coming to take us home… home to be with Him forever.  No matter what is going on right now – good or bad – the hope we have in Jesus keeps us hoping… keep us on our feet expecting His good gifts to come… keeps us eagerly waiting for the Master, Jesus our Savior.  Amen.