Running Wild

When I was growing up I had a dog named Linus. Yes, he was named after the famous Peanuts character. Linus used to stand on his hind legs at the end of his chain and bark at anything that passed by. He kept working at his chain until it broke and then he took off running, chain dragging behind. He loved to run wild.

It always took a long time to get him back home once he was free and running to and fro, wherever he wanted to. He enjoyed being free and doing what he wanted. Unfortunately, he was also running blind - running without being aware of his surroundings.

In the summer we would travel to our family farm and there we would let him run free. He really enjoyed that. He would run and run until he couldn't run any more.

You and I are a lot like Linus. So often we think of this life and some place to run wild through. We won't listen to the voices that are calling after us. We ignore them in favor of doing what we want. That can come with some heavy consequences.

Although we don't have chains on us we do have God's Law as our leash. Our obedience is something that God wants from us. When He yells, "Stop!" God wants my dog to obey because we are often going somewhere we shouldn't.

There are two things that can happen when God removes OUR chains and we are allowed to run free. Either we are obedient to our Master and stay by his side or we run wild through life, disobeying everything we have ever been taught.

Are we obedient? Or are we running blind?

"5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine," - Exodus 19:5

"25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." - James 1:25

Running On Empty - Jackson Browne