Lead Me Not Into Temptation

I think that is me lifting my feet off the ground on the left to try and keep jake from laying on them!

Besides being a time to exercise, walking Jake in the evenings has been a time for me to meditate on God's word. It has become a time when I work through the Scritpture that I am going to be preaching on, and it has been a time when I pray.

Jennifer changes up her walk with Jake most of the time I think. And she goes and runs a little bit with him in the field behind the elementary school.

I tend to walk the same path each day. Sometimes I switch up which direction we go, but I have the whole path measured out. Jake is a dog that is easily distracted and easily tempted. He is young. As we have walked together, I have learned to avoid those places that have the greatest temptation for him. I also have learned different ways of leading him through those difficult and tempting places. Sometimes that means walking a little faster. Sometimes that means talking him through something. Sometimes that means that we stop and I nuzzle him a little bit. Sometimes that means that I pull his lead a little tighter and make a shorter leash. As I learn the places where he is most tempted, I figure out ways to navigate him through it and get him home with both of us unscathed.

It has given me new appreciation of two well -known Scriptures

1. "lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil"--The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 5)

In this prayer, I am asking God to lead me in a similar way that I am leading Jake. I come to know with Jake, that there are situations that are just too tempting. For instance, I do not let him anywhere near a frog's nest, or he is going to have his hunting instincts put him into a frenzy. I am asking God to remove those stumbling blocks that are in front of me the same way that I remove those thinks from Jake's influence.

2. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides in pathes of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."

In this prayer, I am trusting in being led. I may tug against the lead God gives me. He may even have to nudge me a little bit to go the right direction. We may go through dangerous places. God will be with me. He may even have a little stronger hand with me at those times. It is because he is trying to protect me, and others as well.

Anyway...just thinking...