The Hound of Heaven

When I was a little kid growing up in Alaska, we didn’t get to have a dog. We wanted one, but my dad said no. But we ended up with a dog anyways. We lived across the street from my grandpa, who happened to have two dogs. One of those dogs adopted our family as his own. He ate and drank at my grandpa’s house, but spent all his waking hours with us, across the street. He was a black lab we called, “Pup.”

Pup was the best dog in the world. He had such a fierce loyalty to us. Every time we drove out to church which was about 3 miles from our home, Pup would follow us. After church was over, we would come out, and there was Pup, laying beside our truck, waiting for us. We’d load him into the back of the truck and take him home.

One time we went ice fishing out on a frozen river in the middle of the dead winter. My dad drove his snowmobile with a sled attached to it. We drove for about an hour to the frozen river. All of us were bundled up in snowsuits, hats, scarves and big mittens. The trip was fun, but felt like it took forever to get out to the river. When we finally got there, people stood around small holes in the ice to fish. I remember being cold and a little bored.

After about an hour, someone noticed something black on the horizon, coming towards us. People squinted to try and figure out what that was. Someone realized it was a dog. As he got closer and closer, we realized it was Pup, coming towards us. He was panting really heavy with his tongue hanging out. We kids ran towards him as he wagged his tail to greet us. It was unbelievable. That dog followed us all the way out to the river and didn’t stop until he found us. He had somehow followed our scent and hunted us down until he found us, his people, the people he loved. Fortunately, Pup got a ride home in the sled.

“If I ascend to heaven, You are there, if I make my bed in Shoel, behold, you are there.” Psalms 139:8

God is described as the “Hound of Heaven.” He pursues us. He seeks us out until He finds us. There isn’t a verse in the Bible that calls God the Hound of Heaven, but the Bible definitely describes His behavior like a hound. Like our dog, Pup, God will pursue us. He will leave His flock to go find the one lost sheep.

God is faithful. Though we are faithless much of the time. God remains faithful. He sticks with us like our faithful dog Pup. “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” That is a promise God gives us.

You may have a dog, like our dog Pup. You may know the loyalty and faithfulness of a dog. But even if you don’t, remember that God acts like the Hound of Heaven, pursuing us. He will never leave us or forsake us. You can rest in that promise.