Drive through any neighborhood with the car windows down, and it’s not unusual to hear a voice call out, “Here, Fido!”
Of course, the name might be Rover or Champ or Spot, but we recognize the intent. Someone is calling their dog, out looking for that big furry ball of protection that will keep them safe at night.
Several years ago an elderly woman who was very hard of hearing turned on her security system, took her hearing aids out, and put them on the chest by her bed. After a brief nap, she noticed a small beam of light shining on the ceiling. She looked for the source and noticed a man standing within three feet of her bed looking through the top drawer of her chest.
She asked, “What are you doing?”
His response? He attacked her. She resisted, and by the time the intruder left, she had a severe cut on the forehead, and he had left with her purse.
Two attacks happened that day. A woman was physically terrorized, and her sister, when she heard about it, was emotionally terrorized. Why? Records show that very few elderly people survive this sort of attack and go on to lead a normal life.
In this case, the intruder had cut the phone lines and broken a window to enter the residence. Who can plan against that? What hope is there for safety in the face of evil men who wish to take away our security and our peace?
John 14:26 tells us:
“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.”
Just two days before the attack happened, this woman and her sister had been on vacation, and during a church service they had heard a message on FIDO.
Yes, FIDO. The barking, keep-us-safe-at-night FIDO.
This FIDO came in the form of F – I – D – O.
F – Forget
I – It
D – Drive
O – On
What does this mean? We can dwell on the bad things that happen to us, and we can live in fear, or we can choose to live in the perfect love of Christ.
1 John 4:18 tells us:
“Perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment.”
Ephesians 4:23 tells us:
“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”
The sister of the attacked woman says: “My sister and I were taught God’s FIDO lesson two days before we needed it. It was FIDO that helped both of us put that horrific event aside and continue to live a normal life.”
Our FIDO lesson is that we can choose to dwell on the bad and live with defeat or refocus our attention on God and live in victory. All it takes is putting the lesson of FIDO to work in our lives. When we call out, “Here, Fido,” the peace of God will come running and keep us safe through the darkest night.
God offers us peace if we will turn everything else over to him.
Copyright © 2015 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: MST.L.16.14.vp.Guest Contributor Sue Turnipseed