[Image: Good Buddy, 2007, JA Van Devender]
Subject: "Buddy", Location: Hill Country, Texas.
Revelation 19:11 (NKJV)
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
I grew up having a dog of one mongrel type or another. The unhappy truth was that in our location at the time, dogs didn't usually live all that long. The road in front of the house was narrow and the cars moved pretty fast. Several of them were lost that way. Two were poisoned by old Mr. W......., a thoroughly disgusting old geezer who lived up the road about a half-mile or so. Dogs ran free in our neck of the woods and there was no such thing as having one in the house. At night, being dogs, there were interesting things to chase and sometimes they would be rambling around in the woods at some distance from the house. If they happened on Mr. W.....'s property then they would smell the spoiled hamburger he left out for the purpose and a painful death happened rather soon thereafter.
All that is to say that dogs were, literally, my best friends growing up. I had some buddies to occasionally ramble with in the woods with but the distance between our houses and the absence of such niceties as telephones (can you believe it?) meant that much of my free time was spent in canine versus human company. There are distinct advantages to that.
Dogs are up for just about anything. They just like being with you when you are doing it. Swimming in the river... well that's ok with them. Squirrel hunting? You bet. Sitting under a tree and listening to the birds... yep. Dogs don't usually expect much in return. In my experience, contra the feline species, I never met a finicky eater. Put whatever you have down in front of 'em and get out of the way. They're happy with that. Other than their propensity to love to roll around in 3-day old possum road kill, they don't have many disgusting habits.
And, treated right, they are faithful and true. If you and your dog are friends... that dog seems to value that friendship and isn't interested in abandoning it.
I am not about to draw any analogies here between a dog being faithful and true and that description being applied to the shining figure of our Lord pictured in John's Revelation. The sheer holiness of His Name and Person makes that unthinkable. But the qualities of faithfulness and trueness... even the reason why we assign them to dogs... can be pondered I think.
To be faithful and true is to be single-hearted with regard to your object. A faithful and true husband is one whose devotion to his wife and family is not a matter of discipline but inherent disposition. He thinks of his wife and children in ways that are faithful and true and therefore his actions and demeanor reflect that orientation. So, faithfulness and trueness are relational terms.
Our Lord is "faithful and true" in all HIs relationships. He is "faithful and true" as a Son to His Father. He is "faithful and true" to us as Lord, Savior and Friend. His qualities of faithfulness and trueness are not contingent upon our actions or responses. They spring from His innermost being. He cannot be otherwise than faithful and true. Our sin cannot drive Him away as our abusive treatment of a pet might cause him to flee from us. To those to whom He is bound, Jesus is always oriented to their good... to their blessing... to their perfection... to their flourishing in the sphere of His covenant love. As a a good Shepherd is faithful and true to His flock, so is our Shepherd. He does not care for us as a "hireling" who only does what he is paid to do. Our faithful and true overseer is vitally concerned with our well being and literally moves heaven and earth to ensure our ultimate felicity.
The ultimate proof of His faithfulness and trueness is how those qualities are nurtured and encouraged in us. The fruits of faithfulness and trueness in us spring forth through the transforming work of His love active in our being. We are not naturally faithful or true in virtually any real sense. We are not born with these qualities in us in seed form. Even as dry and sterile ground will not produce a living plant unless a farmer applies water, fertilizer and seed to transform the soil, making it suitable and then productive of life, so is it with Jesus' loving faithfulness to us. It is this outpouring of life... of energy... of care that produces life in us.
In the Garden of Eden God "breathed" into Adam and he became a living soul. Jesus' love, faithfulness and trueness to us is like that. We love because He first loved us. We become faithful and true in part but increasingly more perfect, because He is faithful and true to us.
All this is to say that there is a power at work in this world that is amazing beyond description. Our Lord truly is riding His white horse and wielding the sword of His truth as John describes Him. But the victory that He is winning is the manner in which He is creating a new humanity... a faithful and true humanity... that springs forth from His ministry and the power of His love slaying their old, faithless and false character and bringing forth responsively from them, a new creation fitted for eternity with Him.
It's quite a jump from the backwoods of Mississippi in company with an old, faithful dog to a vision of spiritual victory... but the qualities of faithfulness and trueness makes it seem quite natural to my musing heart today.
Thanks again Arch, today you took me back to my boyhood & my pal Rebel, who traveled w/me through so many adventures, but became my dad's dog when I left for military service. I have also learned to trust my Saviour to be faithful & true especially when He promised to never leave me or forsake me. For as a boy I knew the loneliness of being left in orphanages @ ages 5 & 6. So this new Friend was, to a wounded boy now in a mans' body, a real Balm of Giliad.
Posted by: Charlie Benfer | July 29, 2013 at 11:18 AM
There has hardly ever been a time in my life when I didn't have the companionship of a dog to share the trials and joys of my life. I too have noted a very wonderful allegory between how my dog views our relationship, and how I need to view mine with our Lord. My dogs are always ebullient upon my return, and curious and listless at my departure-- no matter for how long or short the time in between may be. All too often I allow the challenges and trials of everyday life to pull me away from my Father, my Master, my Provider. Dogs all too often can teach us life lessons in both subtle and overt ways-- we just have to pay attention and let them show us ;-)
Posted by: Gordon L. | July 29, 2013 at 12:08 PM