Psalm 119:67 – I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. (NLT)

One was large and the other small, but they both needed to learn a lesson. I once owned an Eskimo Spitz. My family owned a much larger dog that I inherited when they moved away. I lived in the country. There were no leash laws to abide by, so they scampered through the woods and open fields, played in the swamps, and chased wild animals. Then it happened. They took up with a pack of wild dogs. Previously, they had returned home every night; now, they came home only periodically. The next time that my Eskimo Spitz came home, I leashed him. I was never able to catch the larger dog, and he soon became wild like the ones that he followed. When I moved away, one dog came with me; the other continued to run wild.

I'm not much different than my two dogs were. I have a tendency to wander. While there's nothing inherently wrong with a little innocent wandering, the wandering that I've done wasn't innocent, and it wasn't in God's plan. Sometimes, the wandering didn't start off sinfully, but it quickly led there. I knew Who provided for me, just as my dogs knew, yet I wandered anyway.

For my Eskimo Spitz, the discipline came in the form of a leash. It was the only way that I could keep him at the house and away from unsuitable company. Had I unleashed him, he would have run away again. Wandering was in his nature.

God deals with my wandering nature through the leash of discipline. The forms that He uses vary, but they are each perfectly designed to accomplish His purpose of keeping me home and away from unsuitable company — whether people or things. Closely following the teachings of His Word will go a long way in keeping me focused on spiritual pursuits rather than on fleshly escapades.

The leash that I used was literal. God's comes in other forms, but it is designed to accomplish the same purpose. Thank God that He loves you enough to discipline you when you stray. Then, stay close to His Word so that your tendency to wander will be tamed.

Prayer: Father, we ask You to leash our sinful wanderings and keep us on the path of godliness. Amen.

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About the author:

Martin Wiles <mandmwiles@gmail.com>
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
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