Rescued!

“He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” Psalm 40:2

Since I was a young child, I have always loved and had compassion for animals. Many times, God has used pets to show me a lot about myself and Him, and He did it again recently.

About a month ago we adopted a senior dog. Why did we do that? Did we forget how many times we would have to vacuum up the shedding hair and clean up the “land mines” she would deposit in the yard on a regular basis? Plus, we would need to spend a lot of our resources on her food and vet bills. Yet, after seeing her in a kennel and realizing she was not very adoptable because of her age, we felt sorry for her. We did not have the heart to leave her in “jail.” And she looked like and reminded us of how much we missed the sweet dog we loved and lost a year ago, so we adopted her and brought her to her new forever home. We wanted her to happily live out the life she had left.

Haven Humane told us that she was in “pretty rough shape” when they picked her up as a stray. They cleaned her up and kept her for 19 days before we met and adopted her. Since she had been a stray, we don’t know what kind of a past life she’s had, her actual age, or even what her name was. They gave her a new name and another chance at life.

I realize that I was a lot like that dog, lost, forsaken and dirty. But God sought me out, looked on me in my bankrupt state, and with compassion rescued me from the bondage and filth of my past. He cleaned me up, adopted me, gave me a new name, and has given me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Isaiah 62 describes the future of Jerusalem which I liken to my (our) life in Christ: “You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name (v. 2b). You shall no longer be termed ‘Forsaken’, nor shall your land be termed ‘Desolate’ (v. 4). As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (v. 5). And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken” (v.12).

So even though that dog will cost us a lot in terms of time, resources and energy, we have come to love and delight in her, just as our God loves and delights in us.

Lord, thank You for loving, choosing, and rescuing me from a past of hopelessness and despair, for adopting me and making me Your very own. Give me a heart like Yours for PEOPLE who are lost, dirty, neglected and unwanted in this world so that they may know of Your love and be rescued and redeemed by You. Amen!