This week I have been thinking about a story I heard a few years ago about a man and his dog. I was visiting a friend and noticed a small grave of a dog, out of curiosity I asked her what happened to it. That’s when she told me the most interesting story.
She said the dog’s owner was ill and used a morphine patch for pain. It was a powerful patch and was released throughout his body. His dog, who laid at his feet all the time, was his best friend. As the man rested his feet against the dog, the morphine would release through his feet. The morphine went from the master’s feet into the little dog, the dog overdosed on pain medication and died.
I had never heard of such a thing and I pondered it for a couple of days. It was so odd to me that a dog could die that way, by just being close to someone who took medication. It was odd to me that what was in the body of the dog’s master would transfer to the little dog so easily.
As I thought about all this, I remembered Mary. Do you recall Mary and Martha? Martha was always busy working and cleaning, trying to make sure everything was taken care of and done. Her focus was on getting everything clean and doing all the cooking, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus – listening to Him. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the good thing.
‘Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He said.’ Luke 10:39
I began to wonder; whose feet are we sitting at? Are we sitting at the feet of our business or ministry? Are we sitting at the feet of our children and loved ones? Are we sitting at the feet of a job that consumes us each and every day? Or – are we sitting at the feet of our Jesus?
Just like this little dog, whatever we continually sit under, is what will be imparted to us. It is what we will be filled with. It’s what will make us or break us. The thing that we are spending our time with, that’s where our strength lies.
I often hear from people who need to hear from God on one thing or another but they won’t make time to listen to Him, to sit at His feet and listen to Him. How can you hear if you don’t take time to listen?
The man, the owner of the dog, he consumed morphine every day and lots of it, therefore that is what came out of his body. What are you consuming daily? If you consume hours and hours of television daily, the only power you will have will be to know what is happening on your favorite show. You won’t be hearing from God, you will only be hearing from the local network.
If you spend your time, all your time, at your job, consumed with work and getting everything done, you may have a successful job, but you will have labor and you won’t walk in the power and peace of God. You have to find time for God.
If you own a business and it consumes you, you may eventually find that nothing is going right and things are beginning to fall apart, if you leave no time for God. If you refuse to follow His lead, you will find only labor, no peace and no prosperity – at least not what God calls prosperity.
I tell people this all the time, it is vital to spend daily time with God. People say ‘oh, God is not really requiring that much time of me.’ Or ‘God knows my schedule and He doesn’t expect that of me.’ Yet, you will never walk with God without spending time with Him. They go hand in hand. What you seek, and only what you seek, you will find.
Take some time today and sit at the feet of Jesus. Choose the good thing. Set aside time to talk to Him. Don’t ask for anything, don’t take Him your list of needs, just talk to Him. Listen to what He has to say.
Sometimes we say we have a prayer time, and prayer time is good. But we spend that time, every second of it, telling God what we need Him to do. And then we say ‘amen.’ and walk away. Without giving Him time to talk and without taking time to sit and listen. What kind of relationship is that?
God desires a relationship with you. If you want a successful life – seek God – every day. If you want a successful business, seek God. If you want a successful marriage, seek God. Everything is found in Him. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God – and His way of doing things – and all these good things will be added to you.
He is waiting for you today – stop whatever you are doing – sit at His feet and say ‘God, I just want to hear Your voice today, speak to me, I have time to sit and be with You today, I wait upon You.’
