Down the Bunny Trail

I didn’t get right at it this morning, Father, and just remembered that I had yet to get with You today. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to do so. May I hear clearly what You have for me today. Amen.

A few weeks back at our Bible study, we talked a little about getting off on bunny trails. Bunny trails are when we are walking along the paths that God desires for us and something distracts us and off we go down a bunny trail. Now sometimes our tangents are unintentional and other times we do so out of disobedience.

I’ve never had a trained dog. The dogs I have had in the past were all ones that for the most part would have darted down any bunny trail after the smallest of distractions. For the most part, I could have called them and yelled until I was blue in the face and they would only return when they were good and ready to do so or when they were hungry enough to do so.

I have read stories and seen videos of dogs who are trained to be obedient. Though they may be tempted to the extreme, they do not yield. They do not want to go against their master’s wishes. Some dogs have even died rather than disobey, much to their master’s dismay.

Lord, why, even with all the training that many of us have had, do we allow ourselves to be distracted? Why do we so readily run down the bunny trails? I realize that You are patient…and loving…and forgiving…but why do I disobey? I know what You want of me but often I ignore it or drown out Your voice with busyness. Sometimes I may not hear You but other times I hear and trot on down the bunny trail.

The Apostle Paul wrote of this struggle – and it was his struggle, too.

¹⁵I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. ¹⁶But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

¹⁸And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. ¹⁹I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. ²⁰But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:15-20 (<<click the green)

Lord, forgive me for my wanderings. May I learn to obey my Master. May I not be so easily distracted. May I avoid the bunny trails – no matter how enticing they may be. Amen.

Aug 24^th, Thurs, 8:07 pm