Lessons from a Sheep Dog by Phillip Keller

Author:Phillip Keller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2012-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

Lesson 4

The Delight of Obedience

THE SUMMER SEASON giving way to the lovely autumn days, Lass and I were caught up in great adventures together. Handling the sheep, running the ranch, guarding against predators were more than mere work.

Rather, our life on the land was a joyous pleasure. It was from Lass that I learned the profound lesson of what it really means to please the Master—to bless God—to enrich the Spirit.

Lass was not a noisy dog. She seldom barked except to warn of a stranger’s approach. When we worked together she was almost totally silent. Her energies were given to carrying out my commands. This was not always easy for she was no longer a young pup. A mature dog, already somewhat set in her ways, she had to learn to obey.

The lessons taught her were intense and uncomplicated. The words of command were short and to the point: Come, Sit, Fetch, Stay, Stop, Down, Right, Left, and so on. They were spoken clearly, explicitly, without waste of syllables.

By degrees she learned the meaning of each. Steadily she began to respond. Every correct move was rewarded with lavish praise and hearty approval.

Strangers began to hear about this remarkable dog and would drive out from the city to watch her work with me. They would stand pensively at the gate, asking permission to see how beautifully she obeyed my commands.

The most common comments they made were, “She just loves to work with you! She enjoys carrying out your wishes! She finds pleasure in pleasing you by her obedience.”

In our happy hours at Fairwinds, as we went about our tasks together, there was ample time to reflect on this great lesson learned from Lass.

It became obvious to me that just as my will and wishes for this devoted dog were expressed in clear, concise terms, so likewise God’s good will for me has been stated in simple, straightforward language in His Word.

God has not left us without clear instructions. His desires for us have been articulated in unmistakable terms. His Word is sharp, precise, to the point. And it is our humble responsibility to learn to respond to it.

There is among Christ’s followers the element of confusion in which people claim not to understand clearly what His intentions are. There really is no excuse for this. Any person who desires to know and do God’s good will can find it stated clearly in His Word.

The basic difficulty is not a lack of comprehension on our part. The question is simply the intransigence of our own unyielded wills. Most of us will not submit to the control of Christ.

The greatest delusion any man or woman can ever come under is the idea that it is a “drag” to do God’s will. Just the opposite is true! Yet our old natures and selfish interests endeavor to deceive us into believing that it is a bore and bondage to serve the Master.

Part of this is associated with the traditional idea of serving God “in fear.”

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