Phoebe…There are times when I am trying to teach her something new, and I will put a treat in my hand. Whew! Then I have her attention. She tries so hard to figure out what I am trying to get her to do. First she sits, then lies down, then does a high five, then rolls over, all the while looking at the hand that is holding the treat. After going through all the things she thinks I want her to do, she finally looks at me, at my face, at my eyes and I am finally able to communicate what it is that I want her to do. And, oh, is she eager to please. Once I do communicate the objective, she is quick to obey.

The way she looks at me reminds me of the way I want to look to God. Psalm 123:2 says, “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.” I want to eagerly look to God knowing that He wants to communicate to me all that I need to know. I want to seek Him first, but I get so distracted looking for all the blessings. I so often don’t realize that the biggest blessing of all is knowing Christ.

Lord, like Phoebe, so often I run through all the things that I think you want me to do. I get so busy looking at the treat that I want so badly, that I forget to look to you, I forget to see things through your eyes. Help to me focus on you, on what you have commanded in your word, help me to be quick to obey. Lord, help me see You.

Heidelberg Catechism Question 1:

1. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
   • That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Phoebe looks at me sometimes and I just want to eat her up. She is so adorable and has the longest eyelashes you have ever seen. Seriously… I have to trim them or they get too long. But to get to my point, she looks at me like her life depended on it. And in reality, it does. She is completely dependent on me for her food, cleanliness, safety, security, environment, everything. There is nothing that she needs that she can do for herself. She trusts me to care for her and to be the provider of all good things.

But she doesn’t. She doesn’t trust me to protect her. She thinks it is her job to alert me to every potential evil… like cardboard boxes, and mailmen, and the wind rattling the screen door, and, heaven forbid, the occasional visitor. She barks and barks and barks. Why doesn’t she trust me? I don’t know. I’m still figuring that one out, but it has made me think about my own trust issues. There is One upon whom I am completely dependent, for my food, cleanliness, safety, security, environment and everything else. He is Abba, Sovereign Creator and Sustainer. All good things come from Him. He knows what is best for me and for those that I care about. Why do I get stressed and frustrated and worked up into a frenzy because of the circumstances around me?

Father God, the better I know you, the more I will trust your protection and guidance. Help me not act out of fear and confusion but to settle into a place of trust and wisdom.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust.” Psalm 56: 3-4