The Unwanted

 

Recently I became friends with a wonderful lady whom I met on Facebook. She operates a dog rescue from her home in Puerto Rico. She rescues dogs who have been tossed away, neglected, or abused by their owners. Most of the time it is all three! Many of these poor, abandoned, creatures have been either hit by a car or suffering from starvation and disease.  I began thinking. How do we deal with those whom others don't want? Do you remember the news headline in 2005 regarding Terri Shiavo? Her husband no longer wanted to keep her alive. Terri became brain-damaged in 1990. Fourteen or fifteen later her husband, Michael, had grown tired of Terri being on a feeding tube and sought the courts to have her feeding tube removed so she could be out of his way. Michael Shiavo stood to inherit a large sum of money if his wife died. Because Michael moved in with another woman, he could not marry her while married to Terri. He didn't want to divorce Terri because that would mean he would cease to be her legal guardian and beneficiary of her settlement. After a long battle to get his wife's tube removed, Michael Shiavo won his case and Terri died after two weeks without nutrients. What painful death starvation is! 

Then there is the awful truth about abortion. How many women chose to abort their babies, some in the third trimester, simply because the baby would "be in their way" "I can't afford to keep it" "I don't have time for it." I'm sure my friend from Puerto Rico has heard these responses regarding unwanted dogs as well.  Since when has humanity determined that babies are disposable? Or our elderly? Or any living thing? When did we come to a point where convenience has become more valuable than human life? When? 

What is the value of human life?

    A. Man has value. He was made in the image of God.  - Genesis 1:26-27

    B. GOD ALONE is the giver of human life. - Acts 17: 24-28

    C. Because of our sins, mankind is damaged goods in the sight of God - Psalm 8: 3-4

    D. YET, HE LOVED US! - John 3:16

    E. Even while in sin - Romans 5:8

    F. What was God willing to pay to ransom us, rescue us? - 1 Peter 1: 18-19

Those with physical handicaps are not less valuable to God, nor are they less human.

    A. God ordered special protection for the handicapped not to be mistreated - Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27: 18

    B. Job spoke of the care given to the unfortunate - Job 29:12; 31: 15-22

    C. Jesus ministered to the afflicted - Matthew 11:5

    D. Care of the less fortunate is evidence of pure religion - James 1:27

The blood of innocents has been shed throughout the world and sacrificed to the god of personal convenience: through abortion, war, murder.

    A. God hates the shedding of innocent blood! - Proverbs 6:17

    B. God will not acquit the guilty - Exodus 23:7

The Bible teaches that we are not to abuse or punish animals in a cruel way. God created them, and though mankind is given dominion over the animals, we are not to treat them cruelly!

    A. God rejoices in ALL He created, ALL by the works of His hands - Psalm 104:31

    B. A righteous man cares about his animal's health - Proverbs 12:10

    C. Jesus identifies sparrows as animals which are not valued by humans, but which God still knows and remembers - Matthew 10:29

    D. Care and concern for all animals is noted in scripture, even returning a neighbors animal if lost -Exodus 23:4

    E. One reason God commanded His people to rest one day out of seven is so their animals would be refreshed (Exodus 23:12)

The Bible says we must never treat any part of God's creation, whether, people, handicapped folks, fetuses in the womb, animals (domesticated or wild) with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt for by His creative hands He made them all. God calls us to be stewards or trustees of His creation, and the Bible reminds us that we are responsible to HIM for the way we treat His creation. If we would only learn and apply love to all things God created, we would be much better off. Christians must abide in faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love" 1 Corinthians 13:13. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, there grows within us concern and compassion for others. Jesus' life shows us to love God, love man, and love the animals created with His hands.

Until He comes,

-Pat-