A Dog's Life
“We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people” I Thessalonians 1:4
The Greek word for worship is proskuneo, which means “to kiss the hand toward; to do reverence or homage by kissing the hand; to bow one’s self in adoration. The word is thought to be derived from the Greek word for dog. Thus, the true original meaning of worship is “to lick the hand of, as a dog licks his master’s hand”. It seems insulting, uncouth, and demeaning. To think about ourselves as ignorant mutts, licking the hand of a heavenly master in worship is almost too much. Yet if we stop to study some of the attributes of man’s best friend, we may find some interesting reasons for adopting such a lifestyle.
Take, for instance, the dog’s response to the return of the master. The animal cannot communicate on the level of his master, yet he somehow recognizes the distinctive sound of his footsteps on the sidewalk 3 blocks away. His tail begins to wag furiously, and he jumps up from wherever he was dozing to press his nose up against the nearest window or door. He has to wait an infinite 5 seconds before the key turns in the lock, then – BAM! His front paws reach his master’s lapels as he licks his face and neck, sniffing all around his clothing and shoes and briefcase, checking to see if there might be a little treat in his pocket. It doesn’t really matter if his master left only 5 minutes ago to get the morning newspaper, or 10 hours ago for the office, the loyal pooch gives his master the same greeting! Perhaps our anticipation of the presence of our Creator could be a little more enthusiastic.
Another trait of most canine pets is their desire to be not only close to their master, but on top of him. The animal is not merely content to be in the same room with his beloved “dad”, nor will he generally situate himself beside the master. No, he will not rest until he is sitting in the master’s lap or, at the very least, sitting right on top of his feet! Should we not desire the closest possible contact with our Heavenly Father?
Finally, there is the way that the loyal pup will gaze at his master with that imploring stare. He doesn’t growl or bark or move a muscle, but he just waits with that certain look in his eyes for as long as it takes for the master to ask, “Do you want to go for a walk?” Or “Do you want some water?” Somehow the master always seems to know what the critter needs, even though the “look” doesn’t change. Maybe we should take some extra time today just to gaze lovingly into the face of the master. He already knows our every need.
Maybe a dog’s life is the best life after all.
Anne K. Miranda
Associate
India International Church
The Greek word for worship is proskuneo, which means “to kiss the hand toward; to do reverence or homage by kissing the hand; to bow one’s self in adoration. The word is thought to be derived from the Greek word for dog. Thus, the true original meaning of worship is “to lick the hand of, as a dog licks his master’s hand”. It seems insulting, uncouth, and demeaning. To think about ourselves as ignorant mutts, licking the hand of a heavenly master in worship is almost too much. Yet if we stop to study some of the attributes of man’s best friend, we may find some interesting reasons for adopting such a lifestyle.
Take, for instance, the dog’s response to the return of the master. The animal cannot communicate on the level of his master, yet he somehow recognizes the distinctive sound of his footsteps on the sidewalk 3 blocks away. His tail begins to wag furiously, and he jumps up from wherever he was dozing to press his nose up against the nearest window or door. He has to wait an infinite 5 seconds before the key turns in the lock, then – BAM! His front paws reach his master’s lapels as he licks his face and neck, sniffing all around his clothing and shoes and briefcase, checking to see if there might be a little treat in his pocket. It doesn’t really matter if his master left only 5 minutes ago to get the morning newspaper, or 10 hours ago for the office, the loyal pooch gives his master the same greeting! Perhaps our anticipation of the presence of our Creator could be a little more enthusiastic.
Another trait of most canine pets is their desire to be not only close to their master, but on top of him. The animal is not merely content to be in the same room with his beloved “dad”, nor will he generally situate himself beside the master. No, he will not rest until he is sitting in the master’s lap or, at the very least, sitting right on top of his feet! Should we not desire the closest possible contact with our Heavenly Father?
Finally, there is the way that the loyal pup will gaze at his master with that imploring stare. He doesn’t growl or bark or move a muscle, but he just waits with that certain look in his eyes for as long as it takes for the master to ask, “Do you want to go for a walk?” Or “Do you want some water?” Somehow the master always seems to know what the critter needs, even though the “look” doesn’t change. Maybe we should take some extra time today just to gaze lovingly into the face of the master. He already knows our every need.
Maybe a dog’s life is the best life after all.
Anne K. Miranda
Associate
India International Church
posted by Danesh Manik | 9:55 AM
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