Consequence prevention

Those puppies made me "eat my words!"  A friend was over a couple of weeks ago.  She asked if I still tied the puppies up when they went out.  I proudly proclaimed "Oh no, they run in the fenced in yard."  Five minutes later I went to call them in and they were gone!  Fortunately my neighbor's guest was in their backyard and he saw them across the street.  The silver lining in this event was they did come when I called them.  One of my guests was able to reach over the fence and put them back in the yard. So I didn't  have to climb the fence, again!

Now there are consequences.  I no longer trust them nor the barriers I placed in the holes in the fence.  I go out with them, watch them through the window or tie them up.  Good thing they are dogs...they have taken the consequence in stride and patiently wait to be hooked up.  When they go out off leash they race around like prisoners set free!

Life choices create consequences, both good and bad.  Too many people never consider the consequence of their choices.  Even when people all around them and their own conscience say, "You've got to stop."  A secular book I'm listening to has this underlying theme, the main characters need to stop making bad choices.

I'm looking forward to that day when those puppies will look up at me holding the other end of the leash and ask "where to?"  Right now when I say "sit and stay"  Molly looks up at the basket when the leashes are kept.  It seems she's saying, "I only do that at obedience school."  She doesn't comprehend consequences yet.  Neither puppy really believes me when I say "You've got to stop."

Deuteronomy 11:16-31 gives me some advice for negative consequence prevention.  These verses begin with a warning to be careful not to follow other gods and gives specific consequences, like no rain, no produce and perishing.  The verses also gives the positive consequence of obedience, like possessing the land while defeating larger and stronger nations, lots of land and protection (no one will stand against them).

It's amazing to us with rear view vision to think that the Israelites would be so foolish to do just what was warned but they did, eventually.  Too often we choose foolishly and impulsively without regard to consequence.

These verses gave me an action plan to prevent consequences from my disobedience. 

1.  Memorize the law.  The verbs my translation used were fix, tie, bind.  I need to secure God's word in my mind.  So first thing in the mornings, I write out the verses I plan to study.  Sometimes it's an exact copy in my journal and sometimes it's my paraphrase.  Writing helps me plant it in my brain.

2. Talk about the law.  Next I write about what the verse means to me, that day in my life.  There are no right answers, just what the words said to me.  Sometimes years later I'll check my journal and wonder what was happening in my life that I wrote in regard to a particular verse.

3. Make the Word part of my everyday life.  These verses tell the Israelites to put them on their doorframes and gates so they will think about them coming and going.  I often use post-it notes or scraps of paper and meditate and apply my daily lesson through the day.

The best part of these verses give me my true mission in life, to love God, walk in His ways and hold fast.  I am going to learn to put God over myself when I make choices.  I'm going to ask God daily what He says.  Finally, when life happens, when adversity and circumstances present choices to be made, I will trust God.  I will hold fast to God.  Choose the Lord's side.