# Shama and Sin ## Background - Our [[Dog]] is named "[[Shama_(our_Dog)|Shama]]." She was named after the Hebrew word "[[Shama_(Hebrew_Word)|shama]]", (Strong's number [[H8085]]) which loosely means "[[Listen]] and [[Obey]]". - Although she loves to be outside, she is an indoor dog and sleeps on our bed occasionally. - She is incredibly smart and seems to understand sentences and even paragraphs. ## ToDo - ToDo Study - Add more scripture references ## Notes - We just got back yesterday from being on the road for 113 days visiting churches to encourage pastors. Shama desperately needed a bath. - Earlier today, Shama heard Denise and I talking about her getting a bath soon. Although I knew she needed one, I was procrastinating and hoping to push it off a few more days - However, Shama had other ideas and found something [[Die|dead]] in the backyard in which to roll. Needless to say, the timeline for her bath changed dramatically! - As I was bathing her in our shower, a thought occurred to me. Although I do believe the thought came from God, I acknowledge my ability to hear God accurately is questionable. So, don't take the following thoughts as scripture. - The thought had to do with an analogy between: - Shama's rolling in something dead and subsequent bath - and - My [[Sin]] and [[Jesus|Jesus']] [[Blood]] washing me clean - When I sin, it is analogous to rolling in something dead. As a [[Christian]], the things of this [[World]] are dead to me {[[Romans_06|Romans 6]]}. - Furthermore, any attempt by Shama to clean herself by rolling in the grass would have made it worse by spreading the dead stuff over more of her body. This is also true for me. I cannot cleanse myself of sin. Any attempt to do so only makes matters worse. - Thanks to God's plan of salvation, Jesus was [[Obey|obedient]] even to death on a [[Cross]] and God demonstrated His [[Power]] by raising His [[Son_of_God|Son]] to new life. By that same power, my sins are washed away by Jesus' blood. In a somewhat similar manner I washed away the dead stuff (sin) from Shama. - She is now nice and clean and no longer smells like death. - [[777]] - Thank you God for this picture. Thank you for cleansing me! Please help me be more obedient in the future.