I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:1-2 NLT
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A few years back in one of our Bible studies, we talked a little about getting off on bunny trails. Bunny trails are when we’re 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’ve read stories and seen videos of dogs who were trained to be obedient. Though they were tempted to the extreme, they did not yield. They did 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.
I 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. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
And 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. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But 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 NLT
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 seem. Amen.
(Aug 24th, 2017, Thurs, 8:07 pm)
Aug 23rd, 2022, Wed, 6:23 pm
