Dogs Do, What Dogs Do

My neibors, to the south, at least I think it is south, Bluffton is layed out at an angle, anyway. My neighbors have a mangary of dogs and cats. The gentleman will walk his five small dogs along his property line and behind him will be an assortment of cats and kittens. They follow him, there has to be at least 20, and they’re cute, and for the most part stay away from our house. Not that we don’t like cats, but I’m not sure what Porthos would do, or at least I didn’t know what Porthos would do.

I was in my garage, door open, when I saw a wall of fur flash by. Behind him, which seemed funny, was a cat runny toward the dog that stood between it and freedom. I didn’t think Pothose could maneuver so quickly, and neither did the cat. The feline disappeared beneath the thick coat of the canine. I started yelling at Porthos to come. He looked up and then down, resuming his (I can’t even bear thinking about it) attempt to subdue the cat. Finally, he relented to my calls and the cat fled beneath the trees that boardered the property. I couldn’t tell, but beneath the fury smile of my dog might have been a little cat nip.

“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion” Eccl. 9:3,4.

That poor cat almost experienced what happens to every living thing—death. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that death is an evil. The idea that death is just a part of the circle of life is a lie. Death is an evil, an enemy, it was never meant to be a part of our experience. Death is the result of sin, it’s a curse, it’s the consequence of our rebellion against God. That is why we pray for Jesus to return. His coming brings the final reconciliation and death will be thrown into the lake of fire. The problem is that those who are still in their disbelief will suffer the righteous judgement of God. That’s why the writer says it is better to live with hope, even if wickedness is all around us. Some might come to believe. Peter puts it like this,

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.

As long as He is patient. As long as we are alive. As long as there is day, it is better to be a live dog than a dead lion (cat). I’m just saying...