I haven’t written a “Molly and me” episode for a while.

There is something very special about this human/dog relationship. We struggle to understand one another because we are of different species, but real love is the glue that binds us together.

Molly shows her love (in her doggy way) mostly by her body language. She does verbalise her delight, with little sqeaks and squeals when I return home from an outing or when we visit her doggy friends. Before the car stops, she explodes with excited barking because she knows where we are.

However, her body language is reserved for me and for those she loves the most. She adores my son and daughter (in law) and refuses to rest until her love is acknowledged and returned with profuse cuddles and kisses.

What prompts this response of very obvious gestures of affection, loyalty, and pleasure when we are together? I don’t understand dog psychology, but it’s real, it’s there, and it works!

John wrote, in his first letter, his profound insight into the way this works in our fellowship with God.

‭1 John 4:19 NIV‬
[19] “We love because he first loved us.”

When I think about it, I believe it’s true of dogs. We show our love by caring for them, providing for them, taking them for ‘walkies’, bathing and grooming them, giving them treats, looking after their health, spoiling them, and all the bits and pieces that go with pet care. They return our love by their companionship with their faithfulness and loyalty. Molly often lies in her bed and gazes at me through her soft brown eyes! I can feel the adoration in her look.

How good God is to us! I could tell you endless stories of His goodness, provision, intervention, miracles and…and…and. What He asks of us in return is to love Him by our obedience to His Word and loyalty to Him above all else.

‭John 14:21 NLT‬
[21] “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

When Peter fell so badly, Jesus didn’t reprimand him, or put him on probation. He asked him one simple question.

‭John 21:15 NIV‬
[15] “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”…

Loving Jesus is the energy that drives our trust, submission, and obedience. In fact, so important is it that we love Jesus that Paul made a shocking statement.

‭1 Corinthians 16:22 NIV‬
[22] “If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!”

What did he mean? I don’t think that he was putting a curse on or calling a curse down on anyone. I think he was stating a fact. If a person does not Iove Jesus, he is already under a curse.

When we dwell on God’s love for us with all its implications and ramifications, we cannot do anything better than to love Him in return, aided by the Holy Spirit, who helps us to love Him fervently.