The Chase
Cory Collins recently shared a story about a Greyhound
race at a track in Florida. The dogs
crouched in their starting cages, ready to go, while spectators watched eagerly
for those incredibly sleek and beautiful dogs to start running around the
track. To keep the dogs running in the
right direction, they are trained to chase a mechanical rabbit made of
fur. A man in the press box
electronically controls the speed of the rabbit, keeping the rabbit just out in
front of the dogs.
At the right moment, the starting pistol went off. The man in the press box pushed his lever,
starting the mechanical rabbit down the first stretch, while the cage doors
flew open, releasing the dogs to take off after the little rabbit. As the rabbit made the first turn, something
unexpected happened: an electrical short caused the rabbit to come to a
complete stop, to explode, and to go up in flames! All that was left was a bit of black fluff
hanging from a wire.
With the rabbit gone, the dogs didn’t know how to
act. According to news reports, several
dogs stopped running and lay down on the track with their tongues hanging
out. Two dogs, still frenzied with the
chase, ran into a wall, breaking several ribs.
Another dog began chasing his tail, while the rest howled at people in
the stands.
Not one dog finished the race. Why?
Their goal had gone up in smoke. *
The experience on this Greyhound track illustrates what
can happen in our lives: we chase after meaningless goals and empty purposes –
mechanical rabbits of sorts – that lead us in circles. We may chase after success, or power, or
money, or pleasure, or some other goal, only to watch as what we have valued
“go up in smoke.”
One of the words for “sin” in the Bible is defined as
“missing the mark.” The “mark” is God’s
standard for living, and “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23). This “course” ends in
eternal destruction (cf. Matthew 7:13-14).
But God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to
die on the cross for our sins so that we might have the forgiveness for our
sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Jesus died for us to open up the “new and
living way” that leads to eternal life in the presence of God (Hebrews
10:19-22). Jesus said, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
(John 14:6).
God will save and give eternal life to those who place
their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in
repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38). Then, those who make it their “aim” to follow
Jesus by walking in the light of His Word are continually cleansed by His blood
(1 John 1:7).
So STOP chasing rabbits!
Follow Jesus through your trusting obedience, for He is
the Only One who can lead us in the RIGHT course in which we find meaning,
salvation, and Eternal Life.
Won’t YOU follow Him?
No comments:
Post a Comment