By Pastor Mark Moreno

Every Dog Has Its Day

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Today’s image is art by George Rodrigue titled “You Can’t Drown the Blues”. He has a distinctive style and began his career in the 1960s. However, in the 1990s he often featured a Blue Dog based on a Cajun legend called Loup-garou. Apparently that legend is connected to the idea of a werewolf. How strange!

This particular piece was done after Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans and wreaked havoc from Florida to Texas. The jazz band comprised of dogs is just a fun visual, where the blues contract with the yellows and reds. The message was clear: Life would go on! It is a powerful way to respond to difficulties and loss, but perhaps it is missing something.

There is a theme in the Bible that God has a way of healing and restoring what is broken. In Acts 3 we read,

“…times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” 
Acts 3:20-21, English Standard Version

If you are in a season of life where you are hoping for and longing for restoration, for peace, for healing, then know this: You are not alone. There will be a day when God rights the wrongs, when He delivers on His promises. We read this in Isaiah 61,

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” 
Isaiah 61:1, ESV

Jesus fulfills these words and promises!

As the old saying goes, every dog has its day. A day when it all goes well, a day when God’s presence is made clear. In my home, there are three dogs we have as pets. I can say that they do not play in a jazz band, although one of my dogs bears a striking resemblance to the dog face in today’s image. I believe my three dogs have their “day” EVERY DAY because they are spoiled.

My hope for you this new year is that you would know that God is at work in your life, even if it is hard to see. In those moments where we are down and out, cling to the promises God has made to you in His Son Jesus! He heals, He restores, He loves and forgives. Despite what New Orleans jazz songs say, the blues don’t last forever.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado