Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mike Belgard

January 11, 2017 - I was riding my bicycle down a country road when I noticed a house with two large German Shepard dogs lying on the porch. They began to bark so I just stepped up my peddling and went past without incidence. It helped that when I passed I was going down hill. I made my bike ride and had really pushed myself pretty hard and was tired. As I came up the last hill I was exhausted and struggling just to keep the wheels moving forward.

When all of a sudden off the front porch came those two large dogs. I was so focused on making it up the hill that I forgot where I was at. As they ran toward me with teeth bared, I tried to pedal the bike faster but was so tired and out of breath I couldn't make it move any faster. I realized I couldn't out run them.

My "flight or fight" response had kicked in and since my "flight" was exhausted, I did the only thing left to do, I jumped off the bike, grabbed it with both hands and put it between me and the dogs. From somewhere deep inside of me came this bellow like a charging bull, and I stood my ground! I am sure I had this crazy look in my eye and those dogs figured out by my look, that I had poised to fight.  When the dogs became aware that I wasn't going to run they just turned to one another and looked as if to say this guy is crazy. There was a brief standoff and then they left and I continued on my way. Those dogs never chased me again. Sometimes they would bark but they never got off the porch again.

Things we have done, or have been done to us in the past, can be like those dogs. We can peddle right past them without hardly giving them a second thought when we are fresh and feeling good about life. But when we get tired, worn out from what life is throwing at us today, looking back and feeling sorry for ourselves for what has already happened that we can't change, that's when those sleeping dogs from our past wake up and try to bite us. The devils main tool  he uses against us is our past mistakes and circumstances. When the devil brings those things back up to us we have only two responses; we can run or we can fight and stand our ground against the attack.

God is not a god who brings up our  past mistakes or hurtful circumstances but he is the God who delivers us from those things and separates them from us "as far as the east is from the west." He gives us a  blessing for today and a hope for a future. He wants us to "Let sleeping dogs lye." God knows that we can't move forward if we constantly look back to our past. Those thoughts and circumstances will "chase you" the rest of your life and steal your peace and joy. Jesus wants  you to put Him between you and your past. Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest."

If you put your faith in Him, those dogs from your past may raise up and bark at you but they will never get off the porch to chase you again. Jesus died so that you can let your past be just that, your past. He wants you to trust Him, put Him between you and your past. He will give you peace and rest.

                                                                       I'm just Sayin
                                                                       Mike Belgard