Sniffing You Out
Posted by Richard Harris | | Posted On Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 10:22 PM
Last night I stood on a dark and lonely hill with the rattlesnakes, coyotes, and deer of south Texas. From our position my friends and I could see the lights of a shining city just a few miles away. Had we wanted to we could have easily gotten in our car and drove no more than three minutes and left the country. The lights were of a big city just across the border, in Mexico.
There is one thing I have learned as I have spent time on the border and this is it: I have lots of friends. They fly helicopters, they drive cars, and they work at an Air Force base and fly planes, my friend’s name; Homeland Security.
Within miles there is well documented evil and danger. Yet the American towns on the border are small, friendly and most of all safe. With all of my friends my thought is I am probably as safe here as I am when I walk certain streets in Dallas.
Early in the morning I began a drive back to where I was staying and in the midst of my journey I saw in the distance a cluster of lights. The closer I got the more I realized what was happening. It was my friends with the Border Patrol doing a little check on those of us driving late night in the middle of nowhere.
I had to come to a complete stop and when I did there were two Border Patrol officers and one dog waiting for me. When it comes to police I always get a little nervous, even when I am not guilty. I can’t say why I am that way it is just how it is.
While one officer questions me about what I am doing and what I am transporting the officer with the dog starts walking around the car. The dog obviously is sniffing for drugs or people I am not sure which, but just so you know I had neither.
While I nervously answer the questions of my friendly but very serious Border Patrol Officer for a split second my mind starts to play tricks on me. I start thinking what if someone put something in my car while I was not looking. What if my very serious and not so friendly dog sniffs something out; what am I to do!
I came back to my senses about the time I was given the go ahead to travel on. It appeared on this occasion that the sniffing dog caused me more anxiety than the conversations. There was just something about someone that could sniff out anything I was doing wrong.
I have a serious respect for a dog that can sniff things out; in reality I need to give the same respect to God.
You see the dog was trained by people to use his gifts to find the bad guys who are doing things wrong and to bring them to justice. The dog does it to please man and in return he helps to make our country a safer place.
God on the other hand is always sniffing around in our life as well. He seeks out where we have turned from Him. He is looking for our weak places. He does this not to please man or to throw people in jail or worse. No, he does it to make His world a better place by making us better people and more like Him. God is in the business of revealing to us our shortcomings not to punish us but to redeem us. See Him as I see the Border Patrol; as friend not enemy.
For some people the thought of God sniffing around our lives makes them very nervous.
Many people see God as a heavy handed God trying to catch us doing wrong then putting the hammer down on us. Reality is very different. God wants our own good; He knows when we are trying to hide stuff from Him, this ‘stuff’ is normally very bad for us. God knows the destruction caused by our addictions, our greed, our lust, our gossiping tongue, our lazy habits and our selfishness. His desire is to sniff these things out and help us rid our lives of them.
Foolish people daily try to hide things from my Border Patrol buddy’s, most are caught but some get away, for a period of time anyway.
Foolish people likewise try to hide things from God; their success rate is not so good. God knows what is going on; He sees what you are trying to hide.
My advice for you is much the same as what it would be on the border; come clean and be honest.
A confrontation with God about your sin might make some of you very nervous. Trust me though you have a very serious God that is very serious about His love for you.
Border Patrol dogs, thank you for your service. Keep your nose to the grindstone.
Heavenly Father, we praise you for always sniffing around helping to keep our lives on the right path.
Scripture: Matthew 10:26, “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”
Psalm 51:6, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be truthful with you. Guide is to seek your help and to acknowledge your presence in our life. We thank you because you care enough for us to desire our best. We ask these things in Christ name, Amen.
