Wednesday Bible Blurb
The pretty little gray kitty began hanging around our home about a year ago. Poor little gray kitty lives out doors in Montana where it gets very cold in winter. Unsocialized and without human contact the little kitty keeps to himself. Scared of people and leery of the predators in our area, he is a wild cat living off of hunting mice, birds and our kitty food we leave out for him. I am a hunter and a small-time shepherd. On the ranch I understand animals come and go, but God says, “A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” (Pro. 12:10 NKJV All verses NKJV unless otherwise specified). In one of our little barns, we set up a soft pad and a blanket with a heating pad to help Reggie kitty survive the cold of our Montana winter months. We have tried to call him and take care of him but he refuses the call. He is wise to the ways of his world and no matter how hard we have tried; he has refused all attempts to call him in. He is satisfied living his life with the dangers of this world.
We named the little gray kitty, “Reggie”. Poor kitty, no amount of calling and offerings of love and peace have tamed this wild feral cat. We know he is a male because we trapped him and took him to the vet to make sure he was healthy. What was not broken is now fixed. He flees quickly when any human comes near where he is. Reggie simply refuses the call to live an eternal life of luxury inside of our home. He is forever rejecting the life he could lead if he would only answer the call. He will live his life and die and that will be the end of Reggie. Eventually memories of him and his dedication to this world will fade away.
Lily kitty came to us from our daughter. Lily had lived outside for 11 years in Colorado. Tough, wise to the ways of this world, independent and friendly, Lily answered the call of love and is now living the good life. Today, Lily lives indoors and enjoys all the love and comfort of a cat who answered the call to come inside from this cruel world. She is happy, purrs very loudly and is living a life Reggie cannot even imagine.
Do we answer the call of Jesus or do we resist and continue to live outdoors of God’s future kingdom? God is, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Pet. 3:9b). God loves us and He calls us to His Grace and eternal life in His glorious Kingdom. Are we answering the call of our Shepherd? Or are we like Demas who forsook Paul because he “loved this present world…” (II Tim. 4:9b)? Will we follow this present world like Reggie and refuse the call or will we answer the call to eternal life like Lily?
We are free to choose how we live in this life. We are also free to suffer the consequences of our choices. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 2015). God tells us “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;” (Deut. 30:19). What is this life Jesus has set before us? Jesus is giving us His eternal life in His eternal family (Rom. 8:12-17) and we will be like Him (II John 3:2c). Like Reggie, we can not even begin to imagine the calling God has given to us.
In the morning, I set the cat food outside for Reggie to come and eat. He sits outside in the cold eating his gift without ever knowing the eternal luxury he could have if he only answered the call. Lily kitty sits inside and looks out the window watching Reggie eat his kibble. I truly do not know what Lily is thinking. Maybe it is that she wishes her friend on the outside would answer the call and come inside to live the life offered to him.
Answer the call of Jesus!
