MAXimize

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV)

We visited our son in San Diego recently and met some of the guys on his SEAL team. I was especially excited to meet their dog handler and his dog Max. (The SEALs use Belgian Malinois and we just got one.) Max is pretty chill for a military working dog. He let us pet him, but his eyes returned to his handler.

Constantly.

Like every 5-10 seconds.

He didn’t move without checking with his handler first.

And, believe me, he wanted to. Another SEAL had his two golden retrievers off leash. Both had balls to play with.

Let’s MAXimize our training today:

Keep your eyes on your Handler. “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.” (Psalm 123:2) God knows exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it. Whether it’s a load of laundry or a job change, His timing is always right. Fail to pay attention, and you’ll miss His instructions.

Stay focused. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) It would have been easy for Max to be distracted by our attention and by the two retrievers cavorting nearby. Yet his attention returned to his handler. His handler determined what was acceptable and what wasn’t. Petting, ok. Taking down the civilian golden retrievers, not so much.

Obey. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36) In the world of dog training, obedience brings rewards. Disobedience brings correction. Dogs love rewards and we do too. How much better are the spiritual rewards for obedience?

I love how God uses all of His creation to teach us. Pardon the flux of dog blogs, but with a new puppy, that’s where I’m living right now. What a gift these furry creatures are to us!

Train with Max this week. MAXimize your workout and change your corner of the gym.

Workout of the Week: MAXimize

Memory Verse: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12

Meditation Passage: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36

Just Do It: Obey your Handler.

Tweetables:

Train with Max this week and MAXimize your spiritual workouts. Click To Tweet

(I apologize for the stock picture, but the SEAL Team guys are on active duty and I can’t post photos. Please remember to pray for these brave men as they serve our country.)

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