The Other Dog

Bible Reading: Luke 12:16-21

Malachi put down the wood for the campfire and hurried to see why Boomer, his puppy, was barking. The little dog stood at the edge of the stream, looking down into the clear water. “What is it, Boomer?” asked Malachi. He looked down to see what was in the water and began to laugh.

Dad stopped stirring the stew over the fire and came over. “What is Boomer barking at, Malachi?”

“Himself!” said Malachi. “He’s barking at his own reflection in the water.” Malachi shook his head. “Silly dog! Come on, Boomer. I’ll get you a treat.” The magic word was treat—Boomer immediately left the edge of the water and scurried over to the tent. Soon he had his treat and was stretched out near the stream.

Dad smiled as he watched Boomer happily chomp on his treat. “This reminds me of an old fable about a dog and a bone,” he said. “As the dog carried his bone across a bridge, he thought he saw another dog in the water below, and he bristled.”

“That sounds like Boomer, all right!” said Malachi.

“Yes, and this dog wasn’t going to let that other dog get his bone,” continued Dad, “so he began to bark to make the other dog go away. I’m sure you can figure out what happened when he opened his mouth to bark.”

Malachi laughed. “His bone fell into the water, right?”

“Right, and the greedy dog ended up with nothing,” said Dad. He bent down to add more wood to the campfire. “Greed makes us want to get things and hold on to them at all costs, but in the end we lose everything we had and more. Greed hurts our relationships with others and makes us live for ourselves instead of for God. True riches and fulfillment come from knowing and following Jesus. Money and possessions will disappear, but salvation is forever. It’s too bad more people don’t realize that.”

Just then Boomer ran up, looking for another treat. Malachi smiled and got one out. “Here you go, Boomer,” he said, holding it out for Boomer to take from his hand. “But this is the last one. We don’t want you to get greedy.” – Marilyn J. Senterfitt

How About You?

Do you think having the right things will bring you happiness? That everything would be great if you just had the latest gadget or the perfect look? Getting new things might bring a short burst of excitement, but soon you’ll be wanting something else. Lasting happiness doesn’t come from having lots of money or cool stuff—it comes from trusting in Jesus and knowing you’ll spend eternity with Him. (See the ABCs of Salvation in the column to the right.)

Today’s Key Verse:
Mark 8:36 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Today’s Key Thought:

Seek true riches