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Sunday, October 25, 2009

The Cattle On A Thousand Hills

Last week I was driving to town in order to go to the pharmacy and the hardware store. On the way, I drove by a beef farm that I have admired on passing many times before. There are usually many very healthy looking cows in the fields by the road. For the first time, the large herd was spread out on an expansive hill to the south just as the late morning sun was reaching the top of the hill. The bright sunlight accentuated the gold of the fading autumn grass. The scene caused me to slow down on the deserted highway and to actually bask in its pastoral beauty. The cattle were spread out evenly over the whole hill. Some were grazing while some were lying down and simply enjoying the warmth of the sun. The words of verse 10 in Psalm 50 came to me: “…the cattle on a thousand hills”. God is speaking directly to us in this revealing section of scripture. (Psalm 50: 10-15)

10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

God is telling us that sacrifices of animals in times past and sacrifices like good works or gifts of money now in the present are not what primarily pleases the Lord. It is a very simple concept. God already owns it all. All of the resources that each of us has collected over the years are simply on loan from Him. He allows us to make use of His resources until such time as we no longer need them. He does expect us to share some of what He lends to us in order to support His church, His workers and those most in need.

What God wants most is our gratitude for the use of His resources. He wants more than anything our fulfilled vows of worship. Finally, He is most pleased by our prayers even in our day of trouble. He promises to deliver us so that we can glorify Him.

Here we find a formula for devotion and prayer. We all should start our prayers with thanks for all that He has allowed us to use for our and His benefit. We should acknowledge that He created it all and indeed He owns it all. We then can express our love and devotion as part of those thanks. We are only then able to express our anxieties, difficulties and troubles as well as our desires for others and ourselves. We have an assurance in this Psalm that He will deliver us from trouble and indeed He does. The timing is not always according to our estimate or desires, but indeed He does deliver us time after time.

Our greatest gratitude should be for His free gift of redemption through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross of Calvary. For this we can thank Him for all eternity.

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