With few exceptions, dogs are among the most outstanding of all animals and have amazing ways of showing their many skills and abilities.
What other creature can match the faithful loyalty of a dog to its master, no matter what kind of person he or she may be? Most people will avoid a drunk person asleep on a sidewalk or in a dirty alley, but not so with his dog. It will stay beside him in daylight or darkness, rain or shine and guard him from harm.
Or what better care could a blind person have than that of a Seeing Eye dog as it leads him or her safely across streets, on and off buses, in and out of buildings - always ready and eager to help its blind master.
Think of how a dog can find its way where it has never been before, walking great distances, perhaps footsore and starving, back to its master who has abandoned it hundreds of miles from home.
For another example of their skills, let’s look at sheepdogs and the duties they carry out so well. There are many breeds that can do this work and prove very helpful to the shepherd. The Border collie is the one used most in England and North America.
Sheepdogs are very necessary where sheep graze in open fields. Training for this work starts while the dogs are still puppies, and they soon become skilled at rounding up sheep that stray from the flock. In addition to what they do without having to be told, their masters may signal them to drive the flocks out to pasture, keep them in one specific area, or bring them back to the corrals. A master’s signals, which may be by voice, arm motions or different whistles, instruct the dog to turn the flock left or right, ahead or back, wherever the master wants them to graze. Trained dogs can even separate one half of the flock to one place and the other half elsewhere. Their remarkable abilities in this work are amazing to watch.
God told Adam to “have dominion over . . . every living thing that [moves] upon the earth” (Genesis 1:2828And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)), but when sin came into the world, that privilege was spoiled in many ways. However, God has graciously permitted man to be superior over dogs and other animals. We should be grateful to Him for this kindness.
Above all else, let’s thank Him that through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, each of us may have forgiveness of our sins and the promise of everlasting life with Him in heaven. Do you have this forgiveness for your sins?
ML-09/14/2003