Longing for Your Commands

Psalm 119:129-139 (NIV)

(Each verse begins with the Hebrew letter Pe)

 Your statutes are wonderful;
     therefore I obey them.
 The unfolding of your words gives light;
      it gives understanding to the simple.
 I open my mouth and pant,
      longing for your commands.
 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
      as you always do to those who love your name.
 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
      let no sin rule over me.
 Redeem me from the oppression of men,
      that I may obey your precepts.
 Make your face shine upon your servant
      and teach me your decrees.
 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
      for your law is not obeyed.

I am seeing a young chocolate lab (I'll call him Rex) snoozing on his favorite rug basking in the sunbeam streaming through the living room window. He's watching me, one eye open, as I don my jacket from the closet by the door.

"Come on Rex. Let's go!" Rex bounds up from his nap, his tail wagging so hard he can hardly see straight, and the two of us head out and down to the park.

"Rex! Heel!" Rex dutifully restrains his enthusiasm matching his gait to mine, eyes forward, as a spaniel passes us in the other direction.

"Go fetch Rex!" I throw a Frisbee off into the distance over the hill. Rex lunges forward in a dead sprint looking more like a greyhound than a retriever. Racing. Clods of sod spitting up behind him. He catches up to the target, leaps to catch it in mid flight, lands with a skid, spins a 180 and lunges back to me. Dead sprint. Hockey stop. Drop the Frisbee. Sit. Pant, pant, pant, drool, drool, grin. "Good going Rex!" He longs for my next command.

Oh, Lord. If only I had the energy, faith, obedience…and focus of a dog.

I am in my warm and cozy comfort zone. One eye open, I have the feeling something is about to happen. The Lord says, "Get up. Follow me."

I leap up from my chair. "What should I do next, Lord?"

"Send an email to JB. You have been praying for her health and job situation, but haven't made personal contact for two weeks. She has an interview today. Check-in."

"Will do Boss!" I spring forward, dead sprint, racing to my keyboard. Clickety-clickety-clickety, land with a skid, press "Send". I spin and lunge back to my Lord. Dead sprint, Hockey stop. Pant, pant, pant, drool, drool, grin. I sit longing for His next command. If I had a tail, it would be vigorously whapping the floor.

"Well done good and faithful servant. Here's a treat: JB felt My spirit while you were composing that email and sent a response even before you sent your message."

"Whooo. That's cool. What's next?" Whap-whap-whap.

"You have ten things on your to-do list for today, I want you to do the 9th one next, not the 3rd one."

"OK, Chief. I'm right on it!" I lunge forward in a dead sprint into the task at hand. I land with a skid, spin, return and drop the completed task at my Lord's feet. Pant, pant, pant, drool, drool, grin. I look up at Him longing for His next command.

"Well done!"

…Then later that day the person waiting for task 9 thanks me for getting it done early. The customer was pressing to see the result today, not tomorrow. And on and on it goes. It's that simple.

…And it’s that hard.

And when the day is done, all I need is for my Lord to rub my belly and scratch me behind the ears. I like when He holds my jowls in His hands and reassures me with His voice. I drool all over Him and He doesn’t mind. I rest sweetly knowing that we'll do this all over again tomorrow.

Oh Jesus. Unfold your word and shine its light and wisdom on this simple servant. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Yell "HEEL" when I start heading the wrong way. Redeem me, that I may obey your every command. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me all your lessons. Amen..