Once upon a time, I took my dog to obedience school.  The dog let me know right away that she was only humoring me until graduation.  This was not going to alter our relationship; she was still in charge. 

Think for a moment what a perilous thing it is to take your dog for a walk in Chestnut Ridge even though there are relatively few distractions present. Any dog owner knows you don’t need a lot of distractions; one will do nicely: another dog, a squirrel, a deer, a groundhog, windblown litter.  Any of these is enough to make a fool of any human graduate of obedience training.

That’s why I stand in awe of the dogs in the Westminster Dog Show.  The ring is full of other dogs and trainers; there are bright lights and loud noises.  There are tens of thousands of people just on the other side of the ring.  Despite this, the dogs trot along happily and stand regally, patiently enduring the hands of the judges without murmur of complaint.  In addition to great breeding and thousands of hours of patient training, there is a secret to this phenomenal focus and attentive obedience to the trainers and handlers:  treats; treats stored by the pocketful and dispensed regularly to reinforce good behavior.  As a result, you will notice that the dogs are attentive to the hands that dispense those treats.  You will not be surprised to know that most trainers use hand signals to direct their dogs.

For ages and ages, servants were trained to look to their masters’ hand for direction and instruction.  They also looked to their masters’ hands for their sustenance.

As the eyes of servants
    look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
    to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    until he has mercy upon us.  (Psalm 123:2)

Just as a good dog watches the hand of the trainer for direction in anticipation of a treat, we look to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, to give direction to our life.  The way of obedience is the way of blessing.

Prayer:  Loving God, help us to keep our eyes fixed on you, seeking to do your will and eager to receive the blessings you would bestow on us.  Amen.