God is in contol of the stops!

The 19th century Christian George Muller once said, "God orders the steps of a righteous man. He also orders the stops."


Yes, we have all heard the song, "God is in control!"

And some of us really believe this.
But we may not always be happy about this.
 I have often thought that God is in control of my life, but at certain times, I wish that He was not!

Since beginning to rescue dogs back in 2006, we have always understood with the heart that God, Himself is in the details of rescuing.  God has given us the Great Commission, and that involves people. "go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19.

So you might say, what does this have to do with rescuing dogs????

Well, people have dogs, right? And people and dogs need rescue. So what better way to spend our days here on earth, than to do that which God has called us to do!

So for years, we kept at it, rescuing dogs, helping people, and it went rather smoothly! We give God all the credit for this success.

Everything was green light, steady forward and onward as we go!

Suddenly though, we ran right up against a wall, it was a great big RED LIGHT! STOP, do not pass go, do not collect $200. GO directly to jail!

No one wanted to adopt any dogs. We could not rescue a dog if we tried. Someone rescued them before we could help. Or they rescued themselves by running off from the shelter. All my crossposts went to the spam folder. No one answered my emails. The ones we had recently rescued died of disease. The people who had adopted wanted to return their dogs. Fosters could no longer foster. The IRS lost our tax papers. I suddenly had shingles and could hardly get up out of the bed.!!!

OOHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Now LORD, you know that this is  not right. I don"t understand why you are doing this. I know you want us to help dogs.

No answer. Only silence. So, I knelt down and opened my Bible. I was very mad and angry, at people, and yes, at God also. How did I come to this place? I let my words rush out.

All these people are hurting your creatures LORD...they beat them and abuse them and dump them in shelters. And everyone is apathetic, they don't want to help and no one wants to donate. It's just not right.

"Yes, I know Sharon. Repent of your secret sins, your attitudes of the heart. You have built up layers of hatred and anger that have brought you to this place where you cannot go forward. I am the One who brought about this stop in your life.I am that I am. I will do what I will do, in your life and in others. I am in control."

LORD, no, I want to be in control, why do we have to do this? I am not ready to stop hating people. They have done so many bad things to me and to the animals. They tell lies, they abandon animals, they deceive and hate and hurt with impunity. They steal and try to backstab me, destroying my name and the rescue name. They don't even know me or what I am doing.

Only silence.....No, I can't believe this, I feel sorry for myself. Ouch!

Suddenly I begin to smell something like sulfur. Ok, I can't blame the devil for everything, but he sure has thrown some flames on this fire. So I need to stop having self pity. I need to get a life!

I need hope....I need Christ. He is the only One who has died for me and bore my sins. He is the only One who has had even worse things done to Him, and He didn't even open His mouth, He said, "Father, forgive them." If He can forgive, I can forgive, not in my own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.


Ok, LORD, I will repent of this anger. I repent of hatred. I have been walking in darkness. Nothing matters if you are not with me. It is all ashes and dust. You have torn me up and smitten me, and I know that you will  heal me and bind me up. So I ask that you heal me, my spirit, which does not know the joy of the LORD anymore, my body, which is smitten, and my mind and emotions which are in total meltdown. I give this all to you. I will know the joy of the LORD again. I will seek after You and Your righteousness. Please  help me. I cannot do this without You. you have already seen how far away I have drifted from Your will.

After many days of reading my  Bible and beginning to understand where God has brought me, I decided that I will obey God. I will not do anything until He tells me what to do. I will be thankful for what He has already done. I make my decisions based upon His stops. I give the rescue into His hands. If it fails, it is His will. If it succeeds, it is His will. It is not my rescue anymore. I will cooperate with others. I will do what is right for the others and for the animals. I will decrease and He will increase. I will listen. I will love. I will share and  begin to see each person as One for who Christ died and as someone who needs help. His help, through me. The rescue is good, it is good to help animals. God wills that we do it. He created them after all. The stop will suddenly be a green light again. But we will take small baby steps and not rush on without His Word.

Bitterness of heart will take away your joy. It will make our work very difficult, yes, even impossible. God does not want us to work and be involved in our human efforts with this poison in our hearts. Yes, we can go on and keep doing it in our own strength, but we will fail miserably.

But God is faithful, His mercies are new every morning. He will not let us keep on this path without some serious consequences, not if we are His.

Thank you God, that you order our steps and also, the stops! I praise YOUR HOLY NAME!