In the eyes of my Tuxedo feline named Fritz, I am his all-in-all.
I am the one who puts yummy morsels in his bowl, protects him from the vacuum cleaner, and opens the curtains so he can lie in the sunbeams. Most of the time, he thinks I'm a wonderful provider, except, of course, when I do something he doesn't like. Then he pouts and follows me around the house, whining pitifully as though he were dying of starvation. To be honest, his attitude toward me often mimics my attitude toward God.
As the psalmist states, our eyes look to the Lord for provision. However, we often like to think of provision as an unending hand-out of yummy morsels.
We don't do well with discipline. We don't like putting others first. And we certainly don't like to (gasp!) fast and pray. Like the spoiled cat, we like things handed to us without any thought of consequences.
Nevertheless, if God wanted us to be fat, self-centered, and asleep all day, He wouldn't have instructed us to wait on Him. Nor would He tell us to trust Him even when it appears He isn't going to respond with a handful of treats.
Nowadays, whenever I see the stare of irritated disapproval on my cat's upturned face, I am prompted to examine my demeanor toward my heavenly Father. I want my heart to reflect the love of Jesus, not the sentiment of someone who sleeps all day and digs in the houseplants.
In what ways do you need to change your picture of God?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Georgette Pickell grew up in a small town in North Dakota and has been married for forty-one years. At twenty-one, she asked Jesus to be her Savior. Since then, her life has seen its difficult moments, but through it all, the Lord has been faithful. She works part time in a long-term care facility. She is surrounded by people who have served the Lord for many years. Their steadfast faith inspires her, and she prays every day for the grace to honor her Savior and increase His Lordship in her life.