I listened with rapt fascination, picturing Alistair Begg’s unfolding account. What a story. His words provided much more than one amazing tale for dog-lovers. The image unwrapped the glorious truth of the security found in the love of our Creator.
Alistair and his wife strolled the quiet streets of the small rural village. They glanced over at a passing cyclist. To the couple’s amusement, the man’s dog appeared to be resting against his back.
Turning onto another street, Alistair and his wife enjoyed the sight of the man and his dog a second time. He’d stopped to speak to another pedestrian. The dog hadn’t moved from his perch.
“That dog’s behavior is the picture of what I just read in Deuteronomy 33:12,” Alistair said to his wife with a growing sense of intrigue and excitement. “… Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
On encountering the fascinating sight a third time, Alistair and his wife approached the man. The old dog remained relaxed against the man’s back, his head leaning on his owner’s neck. The canine’s front paws straddled his owner’s shoulders, flopping onto his chest like a loosely-stuffed toy animal.
“That’s quite a dog you’ve got there,” said Mrs. Begg. “I guess you’ve had him since he was a puppy.”
“Not really,” said the cyclist.”I found him in the pound a few years ago. They told me he’d be euthanized soon because no one had come to adopt him. He’s been with me ever since.”
At this point in the recounting of his story, Alistair paused, probably leaning forward at the podium, and said, “You want to know what kind of a dog it was, don’t you?” He paused. “Sure you do. It was a pit bull!”
Alistair Begg shared the above illustration on his podcast during one of the Truth for Life Broadcasts I enjoy. It’s a story I listened to several weeks ago, but I can’t get it off my mind so decided to share it with you. (I’m confident of the story details, but the exact quotations are subject to my senior memory.)
How many times I’ve stressed over something I feared might happen. How often I’ve been carried away by anxiety in the face of some trial. The picture of this old pooch challenges me to live out Deut. 33:12 for myself. Truly, he demonstrates total trust in the one who rescued him from certain death.
“…Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”(Deut. 33:12 NIV)
Whoever thought such a killer dog would be the picture of serenity and trust? As for me, I’m going to practice pressing into the Lord like an old pit bull.
How about you? Want to give it a try?
If you’ve never experienced the teaching and preaching of Alistair Begg, you’re missing out. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, this delightful Scottish transplant not only rightly divides the Word of God, but liberally sprinkles the profound truth with amusing real-life anecdotes.
You can listen to Alistair’s teaching via the daily Truth for Life radio broadcasts or by subscribing to his podcast series. The following is the link to Alistair’s website:
Feel free to share any illustrations of Scripture your pets provided you. I’m eager to add another to this one amazing tale for dog-lovers. All pet stories are welcome, regardless of the particular kind of animal.
The pitbull story is touching. I’ve often used the same animal in the idea of grabbing hold of truth and not letting go. I’ll have to check out Alistair’s site. Thanks for sharing an encouraging message.
Thanks for stopping by. I am certain you’ll find Alistair’s messages a fun way to learn deep truth.
Nice man thanks for sharing! Love your posts! Keep up the hard word brother!
Thanks for your kind words! Don’t be fooled by the name, I am actually a sister. I appreciate your encouragement.