Oakwood Church Fresh Start Women's Devotional Encouragement for Today Hartland Delafield

Cattle on a Thousand Hills
By Elin Henderson

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”
Psalms 50:10 (NASB)

Hudson Taylor, in his book Spiritual Secrets of Hudson Taylor, said, “If God owns the cattle on the thousand hills, why be a vegetarian?” Now, I am not opposed to being a vegetarian. In fact, I eat vegetarian several times a week…mostly for health reasons, but also because sometimes in the bush there just isn’t much meat! What he means is how many of us are spiritual vegetarians because of our unbelief? Our Heavenly Father knows our needs and takes intimate care of us. The cows (His provisions) are there on the hillside whether we believe it or not.

As missionaries we get the privilege, and challenge at times, of trusting the Lord for our daily bread. When we have a need, it isn’t a matter of working overtime or pulling out a loan…we must call out to the Lord…and we see time and again His undertaking. Whether you usually feel as though you are solely depending on the Lord or whether it seems like you “earn” your “cows,” they really are all still His provision. And, His cows are beyond all we could ask or think! Everything and anything is at His disposal, even though we all have needs of differing shapes and sizes. He promises to take care of us, although the avenue isn’t always spelled out clearly. So, why we do we struggle when needs come up? Perhaps unbelief, or perhaps our own individualistic American mentality that “I must provide for me!” The desire to be independent lurks in us all. Yet, does that change the facts? No, it just keeps His provision outside our reach!

In this day and age, things are not as sure as they used to be. The financial market is crumbling and things like job security and retirement are looking shakier by the day. Where do you turn, though, when a need arises? In a particularly difficult time in his life, Hudson Taylor says, “Our faith never was so much tried, His faithfulness never so much experienced.” God will take care of us, it isn’t a matter of the cows being there, it is our believing that the cows are there and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal that to our hearts. A pastor from one of our churches once said, “Inspiration (God’s Word) without Illumination (the Holy Spirit making it real to us) is just Information.”

God’s Provision: It’s what’s for dinner!

GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you a “spiritual vegetarian” when you could be experiencing the provision of the Lord?
2. What area of your life do you need to turn over to Him and wait for His provision?

FURTHER READING:
Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:19

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to nine-year-old Callie and six-year-old Elias.