PUPPY LOVE
Below is a sample chapter from my new book, The Perfect Gift, published by Our Daily Bread. You can order it on Amazon, or click on the link at the end of the article.
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Author Max Lucado tells the story of a boy who spied a box of puppies in a pet store window. Stepping inside, he asked the owner, “How much are the puppies?” Learning the price, he headed out.
For the next two weeks, he mowed lawns, washed cars, and did extra chores. Finally, he returned and plopped a wad of crumpled bills on the counter. The owner counted them and said, “Okay, go pick out your puppy.”
The boy immediately chose a dog with a limp foot. The owner told him, “No son, don’t get that dog—he’s crippled. He’ll never be able to run, or jump, or play with you.”
The lad persisted. “No, this is the puppy I want.” As the boy exited the store, the owner noticed something, and suddenly, he understood. Protruding out of the boy’s pant cuff was a brace. He was also crippled. Know why the boy wanted that puppy? He knew how it felt not to be able to run and jump and play as other kids did. (Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1991, 48–49.)
Hebrews 4:15 says this about Jesus: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NLT). Know how it feels to be betrayed, abandoned, and lied about? So does Jesus. Accused of horrible crimes and denied justice? Jesus was too. Know what it’s like to be poor, homeless, and surrounded by people whose constant demands leave you bone-weary? Ditto for Jesus. No matter what we’ve been through, Jesus has experienced it.
He entered our world and made himself lame, taking on all our weaknesses, fears, and suffering. He chose a humble birth—to be wrapped in rags and laid in a manger. He selected two young peasants for his parents. In his sovereignty, he knew they’d flee Bethlehem to escape the wrath of a demented king. He entered our world and became one of us. Jesus knows how we feel.
Verse 16 adds, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Someone in heaven knows how we feel, and when we need it most, we can approach him boldly for mercy. Not as a slave, cowering in terror, but as his child.
Principle: Jesus knows how we feel.
Ponder
• How does the fact that Jesus understands our weaknesses impact the way you live?
• Under what situations do you draw comfort from the truth that Jesus knows how you feel?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Hebrews 4:14–16.
Lord Jesus, thank you for entering our world and becoming like me. Thank you for going through everything I go through to identify with me. I worship you for enduring all you endured for me.
Taken from The Perfect Gift, Copyright © 2024 by Barney Cargile. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread Publishing®, P.O Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. All rights reserved. Further distribution is prohibited without written permission from Our Daily Bread Publishing at permissionsdept@odb.org
Click here to order: The Perfect Gift