Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Have you ever seen someone who was barking up the wrong tree? I have plenty of times. Matter of fact, I have barked up the wrong tree often throughout my life. Raise your hand if you have? Let’s take a look.

Definition of Barking Up The Wrong Tree (phrase):

If you say that someone is barking up the wrong tree, you mean that they are following the wrong course of action because their beliefs or ideas about something are incorrect.

Do Not Be Fooled Into Barking Up The Wrong Tree

I think we can safely say that Eve, back in the Garden of Eden, was barking up the wrong tree. The Tree of Life. But sometimes people are just plain ole fooled, fair or not.

I would even add that this could be out of ignorance – barking up the wrong tree. And in a few isolated instances, even stupidity. It could even mean making a wrong assumption about someone. And remember, you can’t judge a book by its cover, as they say. You probably don’t know the whole story about some people – What Is Your Story – Everyone Has One. And you can check my story out too, The Story – Once Upon a Time.

Has Anyone Ever Barked at You?

Did you ever feel misunderstood or judged for all the wrong reasons? Yes, me too. Jesus is amazing at pulling us through this. He loved us so much, that He hung on a tree. He hung on a wooden cross made from a tree on our behalf.

Now when the enemy comes, and thinks he has us cornered, Jesus says, “You are barking up the wrong tree!” Aren’t you glad?

He is the accuser. He makes accusations against us all day long. But Jesus hung on that tree and took on all that barking on our behalf.

Oddly enough, there is a legend based on a poem that Jesus’s cross was made of dogwood. How ironic is that? Satan, barking up a dogwood tree of all things. Barking up a tree Jesus was in. And He was in it on our behalf.

You Are Barking Up The Wrong Tree

We saw the Pharisees do this several times. But each time Jesus would say, “You are barking up the wrong tree!” You without sin, cast the first stone in! He is saying this to you and me.

John 8:7  MSG

He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.”

Be A Place Of Safety

Are you someone who is barking up the wrong tree? If so, those you are barking at aren’t going to come down. A cat, the raccoon, or anything else, does not come down out of a tree with a barking dog at the bottom. They will only come down when they know and feel it is safe.

Are you a safe place and a protector of others? Or are you an accuser, making a bunch of scary noise? Are you someone others will run to for safety, or someone that others will run up a tree to get away from?

Challenge of the Week

You do not need to run up any more trees. Jesus already went up onto one, and was hung on it on your behalf. Now it is time for you to be a safe place for others. So that when they come, you can point up in the tree to Jesus. Do not be the one this week, the one who is doing all the barking. Those without sin, go ahead and throw the first bark out there – so be it!