Stay

My neighbor is training a puppy for a family with two little girls. The puppy’s new family is so excited to have this addition as long as the dog is trained. Well Fancy (that’s the dog’s name) has got a long way to go before she will be ready to follow the rules of her new household. She has become quite the escape artist. She has found numerous ways to get under or through my neighbor’s fence. And she doesn’t come back every time you call her yet. 

She has learned a few things though. I found her down the street the other day and called and called and every time got near her she would run some more. But when I said, “Fancy, stay.” she sat immediately down and didn’t move. She got that one rule right. Fancy let me pick her up and carry her home. She knows “stay.”

Stay is what Jesus asks us to do and like Fancy we have a little trouble with it sometimes.

John 15:9-10

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Abide (stay) in my love.

If you keep My commandments,

you will abide (stay) in My love.

Yes, we need to be trained to follow the word of God and stay there. If we truly love our Lord we will keep His commands. And if we stay and follow His commands we will love Him more and see His love for us.

Sometimes we are the escape artists. We stray away from obeying God’s word. We know the right thing to do but we want to have it our own way. We can get into all kinds of trouble (like Fancy.) And it won’t be as much fun as we thought. Yes, Fancy has been stung by a wasp, scratched her tender little tummy, and almost hit by a car on her escape adventures. But Fancy will learn that she will be loved and cared for if she just stays obedient. And if we learn to obey the same will be true for us.

This sounds so cutesy doesn’t it? But it really hurts me to see how far some Christians will go to justify sin. They know they are living in disobedience and they seem not to care. I’ve even heard several people say, “Yes, I know God said not to do this but it makes me happy. Doesn’t God want me to be happy?”  That is not cutesy. And it’s not funny or cute when we choose to go against what God has said in His word. And it’s not going to keep you or me happy to continue living in known sin. OK that’s all I’m going fuss.

Our father God has given these instructions in his word so that we may have joy. And when Fancy has learned how to obey she will have a family that will love her dearly and she will be happy.

John 15: 11

These things have I spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

I want all the joy that Jesus can give to me.

I want the full allotment.

And you and I can have it all from God if we will just

STAY