Pasture Living

 

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:1-7 ESV).

 

If you are a parent with adult children then you undoubtedly have experienced some of the same nostalgia that I have, especially during the holidays. We have a digital picture frame with over 1,200 pictures loaded into the perpetual loop. This morning as I was drinking a cup of coffee and aimlessly watching the picture I’ve attached came into view. It was taken over 20 years ago (almost to the day) at a deer lease I shared with some of my friends near Abilene, Texas. David was home from college and wanted to go deer hunting. My dear friend, Jaime McClain, was with us and we decided the best way to get David a deer was to go out to a spot where there was a clear field of view and “rattle one up.” Jaime and I were positioned a bit away from David who was concealed in some brush so he would have a good angle on the likely approach of a buck. Sure enough after a bit of horn rattling a nice 8-point came in. After a few anxious moments, David took the shot and ended up with a very nice trophy and a freezer full of tasty meat.

 

Since this was the first really good buck that he had taken with this method of hunting, it was very exciting. And, while he posed for the inescapable pictures, I couldn’t have been more happy and proud of being able to share that moment. This is what I call “pasture living.” Those moments have been scattered throughout the years. They are a delight to recall. It reminds me of all the moments God has given me through the years and calls me to gratitude.

 

In God’s pasture, there is no scarcity of goodness. God’s gifts of his Spirit to us and of faith, hope, and love do not diminish when they’re given to others as well. These things simply multiply; there’s always more than enough! I encourage you to recall the moments of joy, grace, protection, and provision God has lavished on you, even during those hard times.