Porky is a strange name for a dog, and sometimes Mr. George, the farmer who owned him, wondered if Porky wasn’t a rather strange dog. When the Georges got Porky as a puppy, he was cute, fat and furry and had a face that reminded them of a pig. That’s how a cute, little puppy ended up with a pig’s name — Porky.
Porky had lots of freedom on the farm where he lived. He roamed the fields and the woods and could even go down to the river to cool off on hot summer days. The family gave him lots of love, fed him well, and taught him some tricks. Porky, with tail wagging, met almost everyone who came into Farmer George’s yard, so he got plenty of attention too.
Often dogs are afraid of thunder. Sometimes they hide under furniture or in their dog house. Shaking with fear, some will sit close to a person for comfort.
Every time Porky would hear the slightest rumble of thunder off in the distance, he would take off running. He seemed to think he could get away from the thunder this way. Dogs cannot understand that it is God who sends the rain for our good, and that He is in control of all the storms. “God... giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.” Job 5:8,108I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: (Job 5:8)
10Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: (Job 5:10).
Porky didn’t run home when thunder scared him. His favorite place to run and hide was the little town about a mile away. The place where he often hid was under the parked boxcars on the railroad track. That would be the first place Farmer George would look for him when the storm was over, and Porky was always happy to get a ride home in the pickup truck.
But one night when Porky heard thunder rumbling, as he headed for town on the run, he spotted Mrs. Mel’s garage door open. He ducked in there and hid under her big freezer.
What a surprise for Mrs. Mel when she went into her garage in the morning! There was a big furry head and two frightened eyes peering at her from behind the freezer. Mrs. Mel recognized Porky. She phoned the George’s house to have someone come get him.
As usual, Porky loved his ride home.
Dogs aren’t the only ones that hide. People hide too, from God, because they are afraid. Adam and Eve disobeyed God when they ate of the fruit of the tree, because God had told them not to eat from that tree. That was sin. So they tried to hide from God, but it just didn’t work. “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” Genesis 3:99And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9). Adam told God that he was afraid, so he had tried to hide from Him.
Jonah tried to run away from God too, and he got himself into a big problem. God had told Jonah to go to Nineveh, a wicked city, and preach to the people there. “But Jonah rose up to flee [run]... from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:33But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3). It didn’t work. God had prepared a great fish to swallow him. Jonah had lots of time then to think about his sin and running away from God, as he spent three days and nights in the belly of that fish.
You don’t need to be afraid and hide any longer, because “GOD IS LOVE.” 1 John 4:88He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8). He has provided a way for us to be free of our sins and guilt. He sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary’s cross to bear the punishment for the sins of everyone who will accept His love and believe. “The Son of man [Jesus] is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:5656For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:56). “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:1717For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17).
If you will believe that Jesus loves you and died for your sins and guilt, your fear of Him will vanish.
ML-05/29/1988