The Chase

Cory Collins recently shared a story about a Greyhound race at a track in Florida.  The dogs crouched in their starting cages, ready to go, while spectators watched eagerly for those incredibly sleek and beautiful dogs to start running around the track.  To keep the dogs running in the right direction, they are trained to chase a mechanical rabbit made of fur.  A man in the press box electronically controls the speed of the rabbit, keeping the rabbit just out in front of the dogs.

At the right moment, the starting pistol went off.  The man in the press box pushed his lever, starting the mechanical rabbit down the first stretch, while the cage doors flew open, releasing the dogs to take off after the little rabbit.  As the rabbit made the first turn, something unexpected happened: an electrical short caused the rabbit to come to a complete stop, to explode, and to go up in flames!  All that was left was a bit of black fluff hanging from a wire.

With the rabbit gone, the dogs didn’t know how to act.  According to news reports, several dogs stopped running and lay down on the track with their tongues hanging out.  Two dogs, still frenzied with the chase, ran into a wall, breaking several ribs.  Another dog began chasing his tail, while the rest howled at people in the stands.

Not one dog finished the race.  Why?  Their goal had gone up in smoke. *

The experience on this Greyhound track illustrates what can happen in our lives: we chase after meaningless goals and empty purposes – mechanical rabbits of sorts – that lead us in circles.  We may chase after success, or power, or money, or pleasure, or some other goal, only to watch as what we have valued “go up in smoke.”

One of the words for “sin” in the Bible is defined as “missing the mark.”  The “mark” is God’s standard for living, and “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  This “course” ends in eternal destruction (cf. Matthew 7:13-14).

But God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that we might have the forgiveness for our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).  Jesus died for us to open up the “new and living way” that leads to eternal life in the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-22).  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38).  Then, those who make it their “aim” to follow Jesus by walking in the light of His Word are continually cleansed by His blood (1 John 1:7).

So STOP chasing rabbits! 

Follow Jesus through your trusting obedience, for He is the Only One who can lead us in the RIGHT course in which we find meaning, salvation, and Eternal Life.

Won’t YOU follow Him?