Our Guard Dog

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3 ESV).

 

Our little dog, Teddy, is mostly a Norfolk Terrier. He is a rescue that we have had for five years. When we got him the foster folks told us they renamed him “Teddy” because he reminded them of a Teddy Bear. I’m not sure about that, but the name stuck and seems to fit his personality just fine. While he certainly has all the characteristics of a feisty terrier, he is also very attached to both Mary and me, just as we are to him. Because of that attachment he often thinks he is responsible to guard us. That means the occasional deep growl at noises or voices that might be within earshot, which for him can be quite a distance. Sometimes when he becomes insistent we let him out to run to the defense of our domain. He runs as fast as he can to the fenced corner of the yard (which is about an acre in size) and barks at whatever might be outside the fence. Once he thinks he has banished the threat, he trots back to the door to come inside and lay down. After all, guarding two old folks like us is awfully hard work!

 

This is similar to the background of our psalm today. There are four dramatic stories of reversal and rescue that make up the heart of this psalm. These are perilous circumstances: lost in the desert, locked up in prison, afflicted and near death, and perishing at sea. In all of these situations, God acts in powerful, life-giving ways to rescue and restore. If we think our lives are beyond help or rescue, we are wrong. God guides us out of the desert, breaks our chains, speaks words of healing, and calms the stormy sea. We may go down, but God will always bring us back up. Whatever it takes, God can do it.

 

You may also note that the stories in this psalm are reminiscent of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus came to rescue, deliver, free, and restore. He fed the hungry and provided living water, released people from chains of disability and illness, rescued people from the grave, and calmed the stormy sea. That is the essence of the Gospel. In all that Christ does, we see God’s love in action.

 

We may not have stories like these to tell, but we all have our story of redemption. We were dead in our sins, following the ways of this world and deserving of wrath. But even though we were unable to utter a simple cry for help, God—out of his steadfast love and mercy—rescued us through the work of Jesus Christ!