Dharius Daniels - This Is What I Do

So, we were excited about this series. This message today, I want to read one verse of scripture. Joshua, the 11th chapter, 23rd verse says this: «So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord directed Moses.» Listen, Joshua took the entire land—not part of it, not a portion of it. He took all of it, but he took it just as the Lord directed Moses, not him. In other words, Moses, you had instruction to do this and an opportunity to do it, but you didn’t. But since you didn’t, I will, and I gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. I love this! Then, everyone say, «then,» the land had rest from war. Is anybody tired of fighting in the room today? Rest from war! I want to talk from this subject this afternoon. This is what I do. I want you, with humble confidence, to engage someone around you and tell them unashamedly, «This is what I do.» It’s what I do, family. I recently had an experience that I think has exegetical value, and I want to attempt to share it and use it as a tool to help elucidate the primary point of today’s preaching presentation. Many of you may have heard me share this previously: I recently bought a dog. Now, we’ve had several dogs in our home, but I have yet to be the one primarily responsible for the dog, and I’m not sure if it’s because of frequent travel or undisciplined inattentiveness. I don’t know. We just historically have not done well with dogs, and the Lord ends up using us in mighty ways to bless other families with dogs we purchase. Jerry has been blessed with a dog that we purchased. But recently, in an attempt to bring some balance to my life and to engage in other activities that were replenishing and life-giving for me, I said I want a dog. I want a dog that I am primarily responsible for. I want a dog that I’m going to walk, I’m going to clean up after, and I’m going to feed. So, I bought that toy poodle right there named Gigi. You know, I was initially excited about the opportunity to be the primary caregiver for this dog, but my excitement soon faded away after several months of her being in my home. Gigi was barking all night, running away from me, refusing to follow any instructions, and was infected with a unique degree of rebelliousness when it came to being potty trained. After a number of frequent frustrating experiences with Gigi, I came to the conclusion that maybe God was leading me to bless another family with another dog. Maybe that’s part of my ministry because, internally, I was really arrested by a sense of inadequacy and ineptitude when it came to dogs. I was informed that poodles are some of the most intelligent dogs, and so if I couldn’t handle a poodle, it was an indication that I was suffering from some sort of inadequacy when it came to dogs. One of the members of our church heard me express this frustration, and after service, she walked up to me and said, «Pastor, you know my husband is a dog trainer?» I said yes. She said, «Will you please let him help you?» I was initially reluctant because I never want to put people in a position of awkwardness, particularly when it comes to their profession, because I know that at times it may be hard to tell a religious leader no. So, I never want to put anyone in that type of position. I never want to use the influence that God has given me with you to benefit me in a way that really has nothing to do with the life and ministry of this church. I said, «No, that’s not the case.» She said to me, «Pastor, I can’t see my pastors keep failing at this.» I continued to push back and communicate my reticence and apprehension in accepting the help. Then she said these words, which have not left the recesses of my mind since I heard them: «Pastor, this is what he does. This may be a big deal to you, but this is not a big deal to him. This, right here, this is what he does. You think you have a problem, but that’s not really a problem because you haven’t gotten expertise from somebody who knows how to take what seems to be a problem with a poodle and turn it into an opportunity for a sermon. This is what he does!» So, I agreed. I texted the individual, and he came over to my home. No embellishment, no exaggeration—in 20 minutes, somebody say 20 minutes! In 20 minutes, he had the dog doing things that I could not do in months. Not only did he train the dog, but he trained me! Don’t miss this because he asked me, «What is she doing?» I said, «She’s barking.» He said, «Well, what do you do?» I said, «When she barks, I go down and I give her attention, or I bring her up to my room where I am.» He said, «Uh-huh.» He said, «So, how are you walking?» And he showed me how to hold a leash. I said, «Uh-huh,» I showed him. He said, «Uh-huh,» and then he asked me something else, to which I can’t remember, and I told him. After which, he looked at me and said, «Oh, she’s training you!»