We love our dogs, right? I’ve never been a cat person, though I’ve tried. We had a couple of cats when I was a boy, and although they were okay, they were a bit… stand-offish. I only got a cat in my lap when they decided it was time. And they always gave me that piercing stare—like they knew they were smarter than me and were trying to make sure I knew it too. But dogs—dogs are a different breed altogether. I’ve experienced the joy of having dogs through various seasons of life—and I’ve experienced the pain.

*Welcome to another episode of The Write Team Podcast! We share many stories and have discussions concerning life in general, including devotionals, reflections, sports, schools, and people! There’s always a place for you here on the Write Team, so thank you for listening!

Bears are bears. They will do ultimately what they have been created to do, and no amount of beauty or familiarity will change that. Our lives are the same way in the spiritual realm. Too many times, we play with bears. We get tantalizingly close because they are such interesting creatures to watch, almost playful to a large degree. Something about them may even want us to get closer, and closer, and closer…until the bear decides to be a bear.

Why would John the Baptist, whose entire ministry revolved around a message of redemption and repentance, need to baptize Jesus, the only perfect man to ever walk the earth? In Jesus’ own words, it was because it was the right thing to do.

At some point in his young life Jesus knew and came to grips with who he was. From that point on, he became the son of God on earth in all of his actions. He of course always was that Son, but we don’t read of him putting it into action until this point. He was where he was supposed to be, and in the easiest location to find.