My in-laws are dog whisperers. Seriously, they are. They have done some amazing training with their dogs over the years. In fact, Nicole’s dad has worked with the Puppy Jake Foundation which trains and places service dogs to assist wounded veterans. It’s a pretty cool organization with an awesome mission. Over the years I have been able to witness firsthand the fruits from the training my in-laws have done with various dogs. It has been really cool to watch.
The repetition that successful dog training requires really stands out to me. The trainer has a desired behavior or task they are trying to get the dog to perform and the desired results are achieved by repeating the training over and over, day after day. I’ve watched them go on walks with their dogs. In the beginning, they had to continually stop and walk the other direction every single time the dog tried to take one step in front of them. Guys, their daily walks to the end of the block and back took hours.
As Christians we hear certain stories or read passages from the Bible over and over. It can be tempting to skip those passages or stories because we think we know them well. However, we need to remember that in those passages, God is revealing the depth of his love for us as well as who He is. We need the repetition of those stories and passages for all that to really sink in. Every time I re-read or study a passage I find I learn something new about Him and His truths. The more truths that are revealed to me and the more that I learn about Jesus, the more I am able to trust and obey.
In my quick Google search about dog training I ran across this:
“Training is not only helping to build a robust human-canine relationship but is also helping to prevent problem behaviors.”
That statement got me thinking and, while I don’t want to compare you and I to dogs (but where else am I going to go with this?), isn’t this statement also descriptive about us, our relationship with God, and the time we spend in the Bible? When we submerge ourselves in His Word, train under it, and study it over and over, repeatedly hearing about His love and His faithfulness to us, our relationship with Him grows and strengthens to a robust human-God relationship. But don’t just leave the comparison in the training statement there-look at the end of it as well: “...but also helping to prevent problem behaviors.” Being in the Word and growing our relationship with Him also helps us, as people, to prevent problem behaviors, just like repetition helps our canine friends curb theirs.
The book of Proverbs is full of verses on knowledge, wisdom, and instruction. Check out Proverbs 18:15:
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.
This week, I want to encourage you to seek more knowledge. Depending on where you are at with this, I want to encourage you to either get back into the Word or up time spent in the Word. We have nothing to lose and so much to gain by doing this! The blessings and fruit that comes from obedience in this area is second to none. As always, be sure to share what you are learning with me and with the students we serve.
I am praying for you and so thankful to be serving with you!