Tail waggin’, nose inhaling every blade of grass, panting with excitement. 

Chipper, the beagle, never tires of his daily walks. His owner knows it is usually the same three or four paths through their neighborhood, but to Chipper, it’s a new adventure every time!

While the scene looks the same to humans, there are slight differences to Chipper’s beagle senses. 

Chipper’s eyes see new tigs that have fallen in the night, a water bottle topper discarded by a hurried walker, and a mysterious new car parked in a driveway.

Chipper’s super sniffer reads the news of the neighborhood every day on these walks. He finds a rabbit trail from the morning, a piece of food dropped by a toddler on their afternoon walk, and the exact locations of his fellow furry friends from throughout the day. 

While we may see it as the same old path, to Chipper, it is a fresh discovery every time because his beagle senses pick up something new along the way. 

Isn’t that what we should do when we hear, learn, and read God’s Word? 

We can easily get into a habit of reading the same verses, thinking ‘Ah, same old story. Let’s get it over with so we can check it off today’s task.’ 

Watching Chipper’s pure joy during his walks gives me a new desire to find joy in reading God’s Word by discovering new lenses, perspectives, and applications for my life, and to remember that it is the living Word, meant to change with me every day. 

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Maybe we don’t have to keep searching for a perfect path in our Bibles.

Maybe God wants us to meditate and dive deeper into familiar passages to see with new eyes, ears, and most importantly, a new heart. 

With lots of faith and a little fur 🐾

Melanie Drews

Paws on God’s Path