Don’t be mad, doglovers. Although I’m not a dog person, I really just harbor intense disdain for one particular yappy dog. It is truly the fault of his owner, I realize, but hang with me if you can for the sake of the illustration… 😉

Sometimes I run around my neighborhood for exercise. It’s not my first choice venue, but sometimes it’s just convenient to head out the front door and do my thing. The loop around the ‘hood isn’t that great of a distance, so I usually lap it four or five times during a run. Well, we’ve gotten some new neighbors of late. They have a dog. A little yappy dachshund. That they don’t keep in a fence (visible or invisible) or on a leash or in their house. The last two times I have trotted around our neighborhood he has chased me – barking his dang head off – out in the road – every lap – when I pass by his house. At first I was afraid he was going to bite me. I could feel myself getting anxious as I neared his domain each time. I thought about taking a different route to bypass him, but there was no good way to do that. He lives at the intersection of two streets. I was tempted to cut my run short because I hated his presence so much. I definitely thought very unkind things about he and his owner [super fake smile inserted here].

I kept running though. Right by him every time. Once I ran super fast by his house, knowing that my legs are much longer than his. He didn’t catch me that time. But this past Sunday, I was far less affected by him. Still greatly annoyed but not afraid. He and I had been around enough for me to feel pretty comfortable that he was all yap and no teeth.

Sometimes Satan is like that in our lives. He wants us to live in fear. He wants us to steer off course, taking a different route from the one planned. He wants us to cut our efforts short of our best. He wants to flood our minds with malicious and destructive thoughts. Oh, yes. Sometimes Satan is a lil’ yappy dog in our lives.

Sometimes, he’s something much more ferocious than that. Like a roaring lion. Looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). But sometimes he aims for sublty by dressing in the little annoyances. Those that wear us down or change our course ever so slightly.

Make no mistake, he’s on your street and mine working his agenda. But, for those of us who can’t get enough of Jesus, he’s all yap.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18).

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen
(Jude 1:24).

Kick him in the teeth and keep running this week. The power of a Risen Savior lives in you; stand strong!

PS – The owners of the dachshund haven’t been home either time I have been running. I’m thinking about writing them a very kind (in all seriousness) letter just asking them to contain their lil’ dumpling of a dog. Sometimes you just need to ask people to keep their own private Satan to themselves 😉