Pepper, an intelligent little Chihuahua with a shrill bark, recently came to live at Drover’s house. Since Drover is getting older and isn’t as sharp as he once was, he is learning to depend on his youthful assistant. Pepper quickly picks up on any sight, scent, or sound that is the slightest bit out of the ordinary. Pepper usually barks first; then Drover adds his deeper, more authoritative challenge when he becomes aware of the threat a moment later. This arrangement works out quite well, since it really doesn’t matter who barks first, as long as every conceivable threat gets barked at.  

However, sometimes Drover carries things a little too far. He has begun staying in his comfortable bed under the house, letting Pepper decide what needs to be barked at. This arrangement might seem to amplify the ferocity of his throaty challenge to his own ears, but to anyone listening from without, his barking sounds muffled and unconvincing. Besides, how can Drover know what he is challenging if he just barks because Pepper barked?  

God calls us all to the sober responsibility of guarding against threats presented by the enemy of our souls. He expects us to be alert and to sound the warning to others. We must sit up and take notice when our leaders or fellow believers sound a warning. We must identify the threat and help pass the warning along. If we become too lazy to get up and examine our surroundings for ourselves, and we grow content to add our voices to the voices of others without knowing why, we fall short of being the perceptive, thinking Christians we ought to be.  

There is no shortcut for personal Bible study as a basis for making thoughtful applications to safeguard ourselves and those under our care from harm in the dangerous world in which we live.  

Every watchman needs to know where is the danger, whence the foe.

From Paws on My Porch, by Gary Miller
© 2015 TGS International, PO Box 355, Berlin, Ohio 44610
Used by permission