I watched as the brown cow nearly broke his neck stretching to the grass on the other side of the fence. The boundary put in place to keep him safe and accounted for obviously frustrated him. His anger evident as his pushed the wooden post with his long nose. He was not happy.
As I sat on my porch that morning, I snickered at the determination of the cow to break free from the protection of the fenced pasture. His stubbornness was futile despite his strong-willed attempts. The well-made fence held the cow in place. Within fifteen minutes he had moved on, miffed that his escape route had been thwarted.
Friend, I find myself in that same cow-struggle sometimes. God has given me a protective boundary. He has placed me in a place where my needs are met, there’s ample room for me to move around and there’s plenty of good stuff to feed off. I am safe. But the enemy likes to entice me with the greener grass, the prettier flowers, the bigger pasture, the better feed.
And like the stubborn cow, I start hitting the fence post, working my way to tearing down the protection God has given me. My strong-willed selfishness can get me into trouble.
God has given us his word as a fence of protection. We are safest when we are within the boundaries he has placed for us. The boundaries aren’t meant to keep good things from us. They aren’t meant to frustrate us. Instead, they are meant to keep us safe and secure. There is a comfort in knowing God wants to protect me.
Are you fighting the boundaries? Are you feeling discontent? Are you wishing for something that isn’t yours? God has great and good things for you when you wait in the safety of his space. He will provide security for you in the safety of his pasture. Don’t be like the selfish, immature cow, always thinking the grass is greener just beyond the fence post. God’s way is always best.
Psalm 118:8 - It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.