The Dog in the Doorway
Psalm 56:9 — My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!
Jake rules the school.
At least, that’s how things work in our house.
Jake is my cat, and Izzy is my dog.
Now, Izzy is about as sweet as they come. But Jake?
Well, I’m pretty sure that cat has been studying the ancient art of ambush.
I’m serious.
He has this little routine where he hides behind the door to my room and waits for Izzy to come walking through.
And let me tell you, Jake isn’t hiding because he’s scared.
Oh, no.
He’s preparing for battle.
And poor Izzy knows it.
I’ll watch her walk toward that doorway, stop dead in her tracks, and look straight at me.
Those big, sad puppy-dog eyes say everything.
Please help me. I know what’s waiting around that corner.
And I can’t help but laugh.
“Izzy, come on! Come on, girl. I’ve got you!”
But she doesn’t budge.
She looks at the doorway.
Then at me.
Then back at the doorway.
Because as far as Izzy is concerned, there’s a very dangerous cat waiting to ruin her day.
So eventually, I get up, walk over, and stand between her and Jake.
And wouldn’t you know it?
Here comes Izzy, trotting right through like she owns the place.
All she needed was to know I was there.
Now, I think this is hilarious.
I mean, it’s a cat!
But the more I watch it happen, the more I realize something.
Sometimes, I’m a whole lot like Izzy.
I can get so worried about what’s waiting around the next corner.
A conversation I don’t want to have.
A problem I don’t know how to solve.
Something that might happen tomorrow.
And before I know it, I’ve stopped moving forward because I’m afraid of what might be waiting on the other side.
I don’t even know for sure what’s going to happen.
But in my mind, I’ve already imagined the worst.
And there I stand.
Looking up at God with my own version of those sad puppy-dog eyes.
Lord, please help me.
Have you ever been there?
I think that’s why I love Psalm 56.
David was facing real enemies and real danger when he wrote these words.
And he said something so simple, but so powerful.
“This I know: God is on my side!”
Not this I hope.
Not this I think might be true.
This I know.
God is on my side.
And do you know what David says earlier in that same psalm?
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
I love that he didn’t say if I am afraid.
He said when.
Because even someone who trusted God as deeply as David did still experienced fear.
The difference was what he chose to do with it.
He brought it to God.
And friend, we can do the same thing.
We don’t have to pretend we’re fearless.
We don’t have to know exactly what’s waiting around the corner.
And we don’t have to figure out how to handle every possible problem before we take another step.
We can call on the Lord for help.
We can trust that He hears us.
And we can remember that whatever we’re facing, we’re not facing it alone.
Now, trusting God doesn’t mean every frightening thing will disappear.
Sometimes the hard conversation still has to happen.
Sometimes the problem is still waiting for us.
And sometimes we have to take the next step with our hearts beating a little faster than we’d like.
But we can be afraid and still move forward in faith.
That’s what Izzy reminds me of every time she stands in that doorway.
She doesn’t need to know what Jake is planning.
She just needs to know I’m there.
And maybe today, that’s what you need to remember, too.
You may not know what’s around the corner.
You may not know how everything is going to turn out.
But you can know this:
God is for you.
And the next time fear makes you want to stop right where you are, remember David’s words.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
Then take the next step.
Because you don’t have to walk through that doorway alone.
Thank You, Jesus!
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What’s something in your life right now that feels like it’s waiting around the corner, making you hesitant to move forward?
- Have you ever spent more time worrying about what might happen than dealing with what was actually happening?
- How does David’s statement, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you,” change the way you think about fear and faith?
- When you ask God for help, do you trust Him with the next step, or do you feel you need to know the entire outcome first?
- Can you remember a time when God helped you through something you were afraid to face? How might that memory encourage you today?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
What doorway am I afraid to walk through, and what would change if I truly believed God was walking with me?
