“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10a…11 (NIV)
Sometimes I feel like I’m constantly wasting my breath. When we first adopted Shadow—a big, sweet, obnoxiously playful pound pup—this was especially true. Since his adoption, my AuDHD daughter has not consistently obeyed the rules that can be summarized in one sentence—stay calm around the dog.
-Do NOT try to ride the dog like a horse or spin in circles.
-Do NOT play tug-of-war with his bones instead of the rope (she would ultimately get bit because her hand is too close to his teeth).
-Do NOT get on the ground with the dog and engage in any type of rough play. This includes, but is not limited to, growling, barking, pushing, pulling, etc.
Yes, there were several rules, and you may think me too harsh to establish them, but our new “puppy” was VERY skittish and sensitive and didn’t hold back when playing. He has improved immensely since then. Outside, I’m not nearly as picky. But Shadow is a BIG baby and can easily damage stuff inside. So riling him up inside is still forbidden. If Kayla gives the impression she’s another puppy, Shadow ends up accidentally hurting her or tearing her clothes, so that’s never allowed—inside or outside.
The thing that makes me so mad is that Kayla knows the rules. We’ve had the dog for a long while now, and the rules haven’t changed. I even set up a predictable and pretty consistent consequence system. Still, I find myself repeatedly reminding her to be calm around the dog. I know some of it can’t be helped. She seeks the sensory details of the dog being playful. He responds to her, gets excited and shows off his big grin.
But unlike mine, there are words that don’t return void. God’s Word always has a purpose and always accomplishes that purpose. It speaks for itself. In all honesty, I could just write each week’s verse and leave the rest of the devotional blank. The Word is that powerful. God’s message would still fall into the hearts of my readers to nourish their souls.
That’s why it’s so very important to read/listen to God’s Word every chance we get. Whether we’re hungry for God’s Word or just checking off a to-do item for the day, His Word never fails to fulfill his function.
His word alone…(1 Timothy 3:15-17)
-Is God inspired (breath that’s never wasted, always used).
-Teaches us right from wrong.
-Corrects us when we’re wrong.
-Equips us to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
