“Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” Hebrews 5:14
As Josie and I scampered down our front steps for her mid-morning walk, we were met with a visitor. And the visitor had a voice to make herself known. An adorable little cat, meowing rather loudly, totally uninhibited, sauntered towards us, begging for our attention. Needless to say, Josie, my highly energetic dog, was very intrigued by her, and I thought that after Josie barked and chased her under the car, it would be the last time we saw her. But she was persistent, and every time I turned around, she was just a few steps behind us, meowing loudly. She was a brave little thing, or maybe she was smart enough to realize Josie was on a leash. Even when I shooed her away, she would dart behind bushes and mischievously sneak around to once again pounce on our heels. At first, I was tolerant and played along because she was adorable, but when I saw her run in front of us and stop to sharpen her claws on the inviting tree trunk and then move towards us, I started to see the situation through a different lens. As cuddlesome as she seemed, those claws could do much harm to Josie if given a chance. I picked up a nearby long stick to shoo her away and intended to use it if needed to protect Josie. Finally, she relented and darted down the hill, but I held tightly to my gnarly tree branch the rest of the walk.
Situations in life can be very similar to the one that confronted me on that mid-morning walk. We are going along minding our own business and lives, and a situation, opportunity, or even a person that seems innocent and inviting scampers across our path. We play along for a while, and then something tells us or shows us that the situation may not be as it seems. As followers of Jesus, that “Something” is the Holy Spirit. Discernment is a tool God gives Believers as they walk through life to determine the true nature of a situation, person, or thing. It must be understood, and the Believer must follow the Lord’s leading and His Word to be useful. Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to discern what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return” (Philippians 1:9). Paul’s deep desire for the Believers at Philippi was evident in this prayer, and it was a call to action on the part of the Believer. Discernment has to be cultivated and nurtured, which happens in the Christian life by studying the Bible and prayer. As we gain knowledge and wisdom and seek guidance from God, discernment becomes sharper and more recognizable.
In today’s world more than ever, wisdom and discernment must be the goal of every Believer. We cannot fight today’s battles or even see that it is a battle without a commanding knowledge of the scripture. Just as I held tightly to my protective stick, we must hold tightly to the Word as our divining rod. Charles Spurgeon said, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” In our crazy upside-down world, discernment must be in our survival kit. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
Since this tidbit was about dogs and cats, I’m sharing one of my favorite photos of our dearly loved and greatly missed Shelby and Fluffy. They always reminded me of the Lion and the Lamb in moments like these. Ironically Fluffy cat was the lion (and he looked like one) and Shelby dog was the lamb❤.