Instead of focusing on a particular destination, God wants you to enjoy every step of the way. More often than not, He uses simple examples to get His point across.

It’s an incredible adventure. I’m learning to appreciate each twist and turn on this road called life. Instead of focusing on a particular destination, God’s teaching me to enjoy every step along the way. More often than not, He uses simple examples to get His point across. And He uses our dogs regularly to convey His message.

It hadn’t been an issue before. Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Joe, was good about taking medicine when it was necessary. One of his toenails had been torn off, making it a priority for him to take antibiotic twice a day. I poked the pills into a piece of hotdog, anticipating his eagerness to devour the treat.

With tail wagging and toy in his mouth, Joe trotted over to see what I had for him. A sniff of the tasty morsel and his ball hit the ground. But instead of gobbling up the pill-containing hotdog, he ejected the fragment onto the ground. He was suspicious. After two more failed attempts, he carefully nibbled the meat, leaving the pills on the porch of his doghouse. His sheepish look and quick lick of my hand made me realize he knew I wasn’t pleased.

What could I do? He was on to me. He realized these special treats contained something he didn’t like. Cleverly, he had figured out how to remove the pills, yet still enjoy the hotdog. I, on the other hand, still had to come up with a way to get Joe to take his antibiotics.

Frustration aside, I experienced a light bulb moment. There was a bigger lesson here. And it was for me. How many times had I approached my Heavenly Father much like Joe had approached me – excited to see what He had for me in His Word? But as I took in the passage of scripture, the hard truth rubbed me the wrong way and I rejected it. I still clung to the promises and passages that encouraged me, but carefully skirted around those verses that pointed out the things I needed to change.

Just like the antibiotic was necessary to clear up Joe’s infection, the difficult truths in God’s Word are necessary to purge the things from my life that stunt my spiritual growth. The book of Hebrews describes this truth as a well-honed sword, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12; KJV).

All of God’s Word is relevant for my life – even the parts that are hard to swallow. Today I have the opportunity to embrace each truth, knowing that it is designed to make me whole – conforming me to the image of Christ.

What step will you take to embrace the truth today?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for everything You put in Your Word. I know every bit of it is designed to help me grow into the person of God You’d have me to be. Forgive me for having a bad attitude when I’m faced with difficult truths. Help me embrace them today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.