Dogs, slobber and Scripture

Today: Psalm 36-39

My dog Harley loves it when I come home. He stands by the door in expectation. He waits for me to take him outside and let him run around in the backyard. As soon as he comes back in the house, he grabs one of his toys and stands by my side. He looks up at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to pull on the toy. I do. And it's slobbery...really slobbery. Ugh! :) I guess I can't fault a dog for loving his toys.

I thought of Harley when I read part of today's passage. Take a look:

Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,

rolls virtue around on his tongue.

His heart pumps God's Word like blood through his veins;

his feet are as sure as a cat's.

It's a different type of Scripture passage, but I love the imagery. We're not literally supposed to chew on wisdom or God's Word--but it's supposed to be something we love with the same zeal that Harley has for his beloved toys. We're supposed to speak virtue--to let God's Word flow through us as if it's part of our DNA. To slobber Scripture? Not exactly...but to let it ground us, like the purposeful steps of cat. (Sorry, Harley!) :)

Tomorrow: Psalm 40-45

I can't imagine...

Today: Ephesians 1-3

I'm a creative person. But there are many things in this world I can't imagine...or understand. At all.

A few things I just don't understand? Bagpipes. Mullets. The Snuggie. Overalls on adults. Accordians. Why men spit on sidewalks (do they produce more spit than women?). Co-workers cooking fish in the microwave. The Snuggie...for dogs...with glasses?!?

Joking aside, there's obviously a lot about God I don't understand and I can't even imagine. Today's passage highlighted a few of those things.

The first thing I don't fully get about God is how much He loves me...and you, too, of course! Check this out:

Long before he laid down earth's foundations,

he had us in mind,

had settled on us as the focus of his love,

to be made whole and holy by his love.

Long, long ago he decided

to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.

(What pleasure he took in planning this!)

He wanted us to enter into the celebration

of his lavish gift-giving

by the hand of his beloved Son.

I don't know about you, but I can't imagine that God even thought about me WAYYYY before I was ever born...before anyone was ever born. Beyond that, the fact that He loved me enough to make me part of His family? Why? I can't even come close to comprehending that.

Later in today's passage, we saw even more:

...And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love,

you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus

the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love.

Reach out and experience the breadth!

Test its length!

Plumb the depths!

Rise to the heights!

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—

far more than you

could ever imagine

or guess

or request

in your wildest dreams!

He does it not by pushing us around

but by working within us,

his Spirit deeply and gently

within us. "

Whoa. Not only is God's love "extravagant" in its dimensions--He's working within us--and at the same time, He far more than we can imagine in our wildest dreams. That's pretty incredible when you think about all the wild dreams people have...I just hope we're not dreaming in our Snuggies. :)

Tomorrow: Ephesians 4-6