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Some
years ago our oldest son David had a run in with a "visiting" dog. David
has always been one to like animals and they seem to like him. On this day
though, he got a lesson in "animal psychology."
Seems that
the stray dog looked friendly enough. David's encounter with him in our
own back yard resulted in the dog mildly biting our son. There were evil
motives behind that wagging tail!
You can't really come
close to trusting a dog if you know nothing about it. No matter how much
of an animal lover you are, you can get bitten!
There also
has to be a caution for the one who loves people. Not everything or everyone
should be completely trusted. John found it necessary to remind his readers
that they should "test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many
false prophets have gone into the world." (1
John 4:1) Sometimes the dog bites without warning.
We have to approach those who say they are from God, remembering that even vicious
dogs wag their tails sometimes. One of Satan's main activitiesis to sneak
up on us in the guise of a sheep when there is really a wolf behind the mask.
When you encounter those "speaking for God," listen to
the message prayerfully - see if Jesus Christ is exalted and if He is taught as
"coming in the flesh" (v.
2b).
Indeed, know the dog and test
the spirits.
All Scripture references are from the New American Standard
Version unless otherwise noted.
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Love's Downfall
