You won’t immediately get the connection between the Bible character Abraham and the dog show analogy, but there are lessons to be learned.

Have you ever been to a Dog Show? As an observer, you quickly learn that the dog and its master have spent much time together. The master walks with deliberate steps, and the dog responds on cue. The dog is oblivious to the watching crowds and even to the adjudicators. In fact, they are more of a distraction to the dog than anything else. The dog is focused on walking before its master, obeying its master and pleasing its master. The master has carefully worked with the dog to ensure it’s a class act for the breed it represents. Sit and stay, down and stay, heel and follow, and the fetch and retrieve commands have been practiced faithfully until they can be flawlessly performed.

The relationship between the dog and its master is tight.

I have seen entire walls covered with medals and ribbons won at dog shows. And for those who are caught up in such a hobby, there’s hardly anything more important in life. Their dog’s performance!

One day, Abram was visited by God. It wasn’t the first time the two had communicated. Abram was 99 years old – neither a spring chicken nor a young pup. God had called this man out of the darkness of paganism and was working powerfully in his life. The Lord had told him that all people worldwide would be blessed through him and that he would be the father of millions. But now he was 99 years old; he and Sarai had not yet produced their own son. Was his faith beginning to waver?

Is your faith beginning to wobble, waver and wither?

But now God is talking to Abram:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless…” Genesis 17:1

"Abram, keep focused on Me; after all, I am God Almighty – El Shaddai. There are no obstacles for Me, no barriers or hurdles for Me to overcome. I am the Almighty God. I will make it happen. Leave it with Me. Your responsibility is to walk before Me. I know you have many distractions, and there are many people on the horizontal that you are concerned about – but first and foremost, your duty is to walk before Me. When I say walk before Me, I don't mean for you to walk ahead of Me or in front of Me; I mean for you to live your life each day to please Me. For every decision you make, look into My eye first and get the signal from Me. Don't take your cues from other people – I'm your Master; walk before Me. Keep checking My eyes, listen to the tone of My voice, and heed all My commands. It's Me you must please if you want to win."

It was with that encounter that Abram’s name was expanded:

Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham…Genesis 17:3-5

“Walking before God” means to please God in all my activities and choices. Some things may please myself and my acquaintances, but not God. If you want the winning formula for Christian living, it’s not complex. It’s simply to walk before your Master each day.

Get to know God by reading and responding to His written Word and communicating with Him daily in prayer. But not just the prayers when your knees are bent in that posture of humility and submission – but practise a prayerful spirit throughout the day. The kneeling posture of my heart is more important than the position of my body.

May we be more intentional in our prayerful habits — deliberately and intentionally making it a point to breathe out little prayers on our way to work, as we do the laundry and other home chores or just during our workday — regardless of our career or daily responsibilities.

May we prayerfully focus on growing our vertical vibes and communication practices, and may we get to know our Master more intimately.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Again, may the words of the Lord to Abram echo in our own hearts just now: “Abram, keep focused on Me; after all, I am God Almighty – El Shaddai. There are no obstacles for Me, no barriers or hurdles for Me to overcome. I am the Almighty God. I will make it happen. Leave it with Me. Your responsibility is to walk before Me.”

Is your relationship with your Master as close as it should be? Close enough that you catch His every signal and respond to His commands without delay? If a dog does it for a tasty treat from its master, how much more should sinners saved by grace follow closely our Lord? It’s much more than a dog show, isn’t it? It’s our lives of eternal significance.