The Master's Voice

Alas, another mail route illustration....

Over on 18th street in our town, there is a dog that I really dislike. He is a German Shepherd mix and probably about 85 pounds, maybe a little more. He has a large collar and a very large chain. His attitude is terrible and he wants to chew up everything and everybody that passes by. He tried to get under a fence one day and take me out, but I noticed he was able to get up on the fence awfully easily, so when he tried something, I hosed him down with my dog repellent. It works (evil snicker).

The other day, I had a certified letter for the owner. As he signed his life away and the dog continued to bark and jump around furiously, I told him what I thought about his dog, that I didn't like his attitude. He said "hang on," and shouted the dog's name. Instant silence. It was nice. He said, "His name is Iceberg. I could take you over there right now--he would just sit there and you could pet him. He's really a good dog." I politely declined the offer and finished the business at hand, but got to thinking about that later in the day.

I've hollered things at that dog before and it didn't make one bit of difference. I've told him to shut up and put a sock in it. I've sprayed him one day and the next day, he's back snarling and barking at me. But when he heard his master's voice, everything changed. He acted totally different, totally under control, had a totally different demeanor. When not under the master's influence, he is out of control and does not play well with others. God showed me a true to life comparison between me (and you) and that dog.

Without being under the Master's control....when we can't or won't hear His voice, we subsequently act in ways that are seemingly out of control, not pleasing to the Master nor to those around us. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19 that the deeds of the flesh are evident, and he listed them at that time. When we are in charge of our lives there is a tendency to allow ugly things to show up that we don't want to cultivate in our lives. He followed that immediately with 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (NAS). These grow in our lives when we MAKE the time to take in God's word and find out what He wants us to be like and from cultivating a ever deepening relationship with Him through times of prayer. Prayer is just a 2 way conversation with God. We, of course, tell God what we would like and what weighs heavily on our hearts, but it's also where (if we wait around for a while) we learn to hear the Master's voice.

Iceberg had heard his master's voice enough that when he heard it, he stopped what he was doing and listened. No other voice could accomplish in Iceberg's life what his master's could. Whatever the master ordered is what Iceberg would do. What about me and you?? Have we heard our Master's voice enough that we actually know it when we hear it?? And if we hear it, do we drop what we're doing and actually listen and DO what he tells us???

I can't answer for you, but I have some work to do in this area. But now that Iceberg has taught me a lesson, I can go forward from today, knowing that I have to always be listening for MY Master's voice. And only when I've got that down will I be able to live a truly victorious and successful Christian life in the eyes of God. I still don't like Iceberg's attitude toward me and I'd still like to slap him every morning I go by him, but I can better appreciate his attitude toward his master's voice.