Early Thursday morning, after sending out the meditation for that day, I watched a documentary about the life of Chuck Berry, the first inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The context in which he made the quote above was included in the documentary and I have used it as a title for today’s meditation. However, note that my usage is very different from the context in which the icon’s words, transformed as they traveled through my spiritual prism on that early, snowy day. When I heard “Don’t let the same dog bite you twice,” I thought of the sin of David with Bathsheba; a sin which was at the center of a number of other related and connected sins. I then thought of the penitential Psalm (Psalm 51) of David, where he pleaded for forgiveness after Nathan the prophet came to him. Surely, I thought, David was not going to let lustful desire cause him to commit the same sin again! Surely, I thought he would agree with Chuck Berry, “Don’t let the same dog bite you twice.” Then I thought about you and me and how we, after confessing our sins, after being mercifully cleansed, how we should put forth our best effort to keep the same dog from biting us twice…or even more than twice when it comes to times where we yielded to the same temptation multiple times.
In at least one of our three Bible Study classes this week, I commented on how Ezra the scribe, as described in The Book of Nehemiah (Chapter 8), read from the word and the people said “Amen.” Aside from commenting on the dynamics between the messenger and the many listeners, I jokingly referred to how we as preachers have long sermons at times, if there is such a thing, because of our exegesis and the expository approach that we take to make sure that the congregation understands what the word says, what the word means, and what it specifically means to each one of us receiving the word; preacher included. However, the main point I wanted to make by referring to the Nehemiah passage was that sometimes all we need to do is read the word. So, this morning, I did not have an opening verse or a closing verse, just a paraphrased version to make my point about all we need to do at times is read the word. Enjoy! Personalize it! Keep the meditation title in mind as you apply this word to your life. Put it in your toolbox so that when you look through it, you will be reminded about not letting the same do bite you twice. Oh, don’t forget to attend worship service, virtually or in person tomorrow! Be blessed!
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King