My daughter (the science one, she wanted me to add) came indoors and disgustedly announced that Pete, our black cocker, wouldn’t fetch the ball.   “I throw the ball and yell ‘fetch,’ but he just stands there with this bored look on his face.  He wants us to give him love, but he doesn’t want to do anything for it.”

Pete loves to be fed, held, fed, petted, fed, and pampered.  He doesn’t like to be told to get off the sofa, go for a walk, go upstairs, go downstairs, or go into my lady’s chamber.  Now, if he thinks of it first, then it’s OK.  But if we happen to mention it, it’s “Hm-hm-hm, I can’t hear you!”

Unfortunately, a scratch under our chin or a pat on the head from the Lord doesn’t cut it for us.  He does take wonderful care of us as His children, but there is the small matter of, ahem—obedience (don’t be upset with me, it’s right there in John 15, for starters) which He requires of us.  Not like, “Oh… all right, if you insist, but I want you to know I’m not going to enjoy it,” but as in delighting greatly (Psalm 112:1).

Here’s a challenge:  look up all the verses on the Lord’s commands to us, and on our attitudes and actions towards His commands.   Need your Bible?  Don’t sit there looking at me—go fetch!