The Testament of the Toad

 

The hot, dry desert of Southern Arizona is where I currently reside, and it has been surprising in recent days to see several large toads hopping around in the evenings.

Toads need some level of standing water to sustain them and lay their eggs in. As far as I know there is no standing water in the vicinity, no streams or ponds.

But the other evening, I was distracted from a Bible study by a couple of toads hopping around who both ended up in a drainpipe filled with water that was in the concrete next to a building. It was a tight space, but they seemed happy enough.

There must be enough standing water in these drainage pipes around the compound here for them to lay their eggs and survive the harsh desert heat.

Toads have bodies that were designed to thrive in certain habitats. If it gets too cold or too dry, or if the water is polluted, they cannot survive. There are certain rules that a toad must live by if he is to survive and thrive, if he does not follow that plan, he will suffer and die.

As beings created in the image of God there are certain rules and structures that God has designed into our bodies and souls. There are certain behaviors and environments that will lead to our flourishing and there are behaviors and environments that will lead to our suffering.

I believe it is really quite simple. There is one main command, Jesus said, to love God with our entire being (See Matthew 22:37). There is one rule, and that is it. If we pursue that one rule with our whole heart, we will succeed and thrive, if we neglect it, we will perish.

Just as the toad will find himself in danger if he gets too far from a plentiful source of water, so also, if we move ourselves away from that Fount of Living Waters, Jesus Christ, we will find ourselves in spiritual jeopardy.

As proud, independent humans we often resist any rules and regulations. Somebody tells us to do something, even something we might recognize as being in our best interest, and we are still tempted to rebel, simply because we don't want anyone, God included, telling us what to do.

We live in a society and culture that prizes individuality and autonomy above all else. We can do as we please, we can pursue our own bliss, achieve self-actualization at any cost. As long as no one else is harmed, anything goes. But this plan is contrary to the love of God, and if we follow it, we will find ourselves in eternal peril. We cannot love God and seek after our selfish desires at the same time.

But we cannot simply choose to love God in any manner that we please. If we are to love God, we must come to him on his terms. Jesus put it this way, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) The way we practically live out our love for the Lord is through obedience.

In the Garden of Eden, God gave our first parents one command to obey, "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."  It was quite simple, if they loved God, they would not eat that fruit. But their love failed. And so does ours far too often.

Every rule and statute that God has given us is a manifestation of his goodness and his great love for us.

Just as a good parent will give his child boundaries for his own safety and flourishing, "Don't play in the street."  "Do your homework every day."  God's boundaries are there to enrich our lives and keep our hearts and minds close to him.

The longer we live a life of holiness, humbly walking with our God, we will see the goodness of all his commands. We come to delight in them and see in them beauty and great riches.

King David sang the praises of God's laws in Psalm 19:

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

God gives us rules, laws, and commandments, not to limit our happiness or satisfaction, but to maximize them. At times we feel deprived, like we are missing out. Everyone else is having so much fun, we think, but we come to learn that those are just the twisted cravings of our flesh and the lies of this world and the devil.

Our bodies were clearly designed to walk on land. If one day I decide that I can do what I please with my body, forget how it is designed, forget stupid laws like gravity, and I decide to walk to the edge of a cliff and gleefully leap off with no parachute, glider, or squirrel suit to control my descent. I may enjoy a few moments of euphoria as I fall, but in the end, I will realize that my body is not designed for flight after all. It is my body that will break, not the law of gravity.

God has written certain immutable laws into reality, and we may rebel against them. But inevitably we will find that we cannot break God's laws, we will only end up breaking ourselves.

The great intention and purpose of our existence is to love God with all our strength. If we follow that simple rule and strive to obey him in all we say and do, we will find peace and flourishing. He is the source and substance of our life, if we stray from him, we will find ourselves in a perilous position.

A toad without water is dead, and person without God is dead as well.

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