Buck and Cowboy

Photo by Joshua Sharf on unsplash.com

When Sherry and I first married, I was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Ignacio Colorado. It was a great experience for both of us. One of my fondest memories is that of going to the mountains with our friends Glenn and Jeannie Faverino.

The Faverinos had a cattle ranch, and in the summer took their cattle to a summer range on Missionary Ridge just north of Durango. The mountains there reach almost 10,000 feet in elevation. On horseback, we'd push the cattle to higher ground where the grass was tall, and put out salt licks. In the fall, we'd bring the cattle down to the foot of the mountain to a holding pen before loading them for transport.

There is nothing like sitting on top of a horse on top of a high mountain. It makes you feel like you're on top of the world.

After breakfast we’d saddle up our horses and ride the range for most of the day. Glenn rode a buckskin horse aptly named “Buck.” I often rode an aging quarter horse called “Cowboy.”

Cowboy was a great cutting horse and loved what he did. A high strung, spirited animal, Cowboy acted like he was in a race and could barely be held back. From the start, he wanted to go, go, go. It seemed to me that the only way I could get him to take it easy was to talk to him gently. Pulling back on the reigns too hard only seemed to make him want to go harder. Quietly saying things like “Ho, settle down. Take it easy Cowboy,” seemed to temper him enough to make the experience bearable for his rider.

Glenn’s horse Buck was the opposite. He would set a pace and maintain it all day long. Very steadfast, Buck seemed to be going just as strong at the end of the day as he did at the beginning.

Not so – Cowboy! Though unstoppable out of the gate, he was about exhausted at the end of the activities. Sweaty and breathing hard, he would drop behind the other horses. He could no longer stay up with the rest.

I have seen many Christians like this. Fast from the first but lagging at the last. My friend, Tut Jones, used to say, “They’re going to do wonders and eat rotten cucumbers.” I always took that to mean they had great intentions to really set the world on fire for Christ. Sometimes they are not to be seen later on. This happens when we try to serve the Lord in the energy of our own flesh.

I have also seen other believers who through the years and decades remained faithful servants of the Lord. These would only grow sweeter with time and seemed to have the grace of God upon them continually. Only God will be the final judge of us all, but by examining their fruits they seem to still pass inspection. Jesus said; “By their fruits ye shall know them.”

Thank God for the energy and excitement of youth, but even better are those whose fire is still burning consistently through time.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1Corinthians 15.58)

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6.9)

Promised Blessings for those who Fully Follow God

What blessings might be in store for those who fully follow God? Is it worth the wait? Is it worth the ridicule, harassment and rejection?

Caleb was forty years old when he and Joshua stood out from the crowd and said, “We can and should go into the land.” When all the others saw the giants of the land, they melted and said; “We are as grasshoppers in their sight.” Caleb and Joshua said; “They are like bread. Let’s do it!”

Have you noticed that those who accomplished much never really did fit into the crowd? Show me a person who’s like everyone else and I’ll show you that they were very forgettable. The unforgettable are the unconformable. Jesus was not a conformist. Paul was not a conformist. Neither were Joseph, Daniel, Martin Luther, William Wilberforce, William Carey and so many other greatly accomplished individuals.

But it’s not enough to just be different for difference sake. We must find out where God is going and go with him. We must love him and pursue him with all of our hearts. When we do, we will stand out without even trying.

Caleb remained a steadfast pursuer of God from that time – 45 years. At the age of 85 he wanted to possess the mountain he had seen decades ago, a mountain that flourished with fruitfulness – but also a mountain where many giants dwelled. He still believed God’s promise that it belonged to Israel and that God would enable them to conquer. He said to Joshua “give me this mountain.”

I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."

And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb ,,, as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb ... to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.  ...

            Then the land had rest from war.

The enemies are great and mighty. The wait is long. The crowd is doubtful. The giants are enormous and the mountain is high but that’s where the grass grows tallest. Follow God fully as did Caleb and Joshua and see what great blessings God has laid up. The book of Joshua, chapter 14 in the bible says:

What blessings would God give to those who follow Him fully?

1. The blessing of finding God's fulfilled promise. Caleb saw God do what he promised he would do – bring them into the land of promise.
2. The blessing of sustained strength. God will give you the strength to do what he has called and appointed you to do.
3. The blessing of imparted inheritance. God said; "Here, I have something to give you." For Caleb, it was a magnificent portion of land. For us it may be a blessed family, or souls won to him or simply happiness in life, but bless he will.
4. The blessing of conquest over the conflict. There were great giants to defeat but "the land had rest from war." God never promised that you would not have battles in life, but he has provided the victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that you  and I have been encouraged to be a wholehearted follower of God and see these kinds of  blessings in our own lives.

How Am I to Handle Trials?

When you go through serious trials of affliction and adversity, how do you handle it? Notice, I said “when,” not “if.” Jesus told us so when he said: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16.33).

Paul, as well, said that we would have trials.

…no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. (2 Thessalonians 3.3-4)

How do you handle it?

You may think it strange: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;” (1 Peter 4.12).

You may think it unfair: saying in your mind, “God how could you allow me to go through this? I have served you faithfully. Shouldn’t there be blessings and reward to those who follow you?”

You may think God unfaithful: but God is being faithful to bring you through exactly what he said would happen to you – that is; tribulation. And he will bring you through it.

We are to handle trials in humility. We must handle them faithfully, joyfully, trustingly, generously, patiently, prayerfully, bravely, ministering to others during their trials and we’ll be unshaken by the afflictions which are to come upon us.

(Acts 20.19 James 1.2 Acts 14.222 Corinthians 8.2 Romans 5.3 Romans 12.122 Corinthians 1.4 Ephesians 3.13

Fully Following God

“Don’t go too far!” we have often heard people say. Some feel it is sufficient to be a Sunday morning follower of Christ. For others – Christmas and Easter is good enough. We might give, but not joyfully. We might serve, but not sacrificially. We feel that we can follow Christ “from afar” as Peter did while Christ was being crucified (though Peter later repented of this).

'Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.' Numbers 32.11-12

How far are we willing to go in following God? How far should we go when it comes to following the Lord Jesus? “After all isn’t this my life? I know God gave it to me and redeemed me, but doesn’t it belong to me? Surely, he would not expect me to give up anything to follow him.” (see Luke 9.23)

No, the body and spirit which God has given us is not our possession. They belong to him.

 …do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6.19-20)

What if we were to wholly follow the Lord. What might God do? For Joshua and Caleb, they were allowed to go into the land God had promised to their fathers – just two out of thousands and thousands. Those who did not completely follow God were not allowed to go in.

If we only half-heartedly follow God, what blessings might we miss? If we follow him fully, what great things would he do in our lives?

Following God completely means:

1.     Trusting him completely. Caleb and Joshua believed God would bring them into the land of promise and saw the land’s positive attributes when others saw the negative. They could see this because of what God had told them.

2.     Being willing to be different. They stood out like a sore thumb but stayed committed to what God was doing in their lives.

3.     Giving him not just a portion of our time, talents, thoughts and resources but ALL of them.

Ask yourself; “What would my life look like if I fully followed God?” and “Am I willing to do it?” God only knows what blessings are in store for those who do.

Our Inheritance

Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. – Numbers 18.20

Does it ever seem like you’re getting the short end of the deal when you can’t seem to have everything everyone else is getting? That new boat, bigger house, promotion, early retirement, clean bill of health – others have it but you don’t. Their marriage may seem more ideal and their children may seem to have it better together than yours. “Why can’t I be more like everyone else?” you may ask.

The Levites of old, as recorded in the bible, may have felt the same way. The Levites (descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob) were the tribe of priests. All of the other tribes of Israel were given a portion of land to live in, but not the Levites.

This, however, is only part of the story because the Lord God had not only told the Levites they would receive no land, he also promised them a portion that he promised to no other tribe – that He would be all they would need. “I am your portion and your inheritance” He said.

Dear Christian brother or sister – the Lord is our portion. Why should we settle for second best? Sure, houses and land are wonderful blessings from God as are the many other physical and earthly gifts that come to us from God, but they cannot hold a candle to the glorious light of the blessing of God Himself. “I will never leave you or forsake you” he promises his people.

After my Mom and Dad died, my brothers and sisters and I received our inheritance. The seven of us received a few thousand dollars apiece. It wasn’t much compared to what many others receive from their parents but was actually more than I ever expected.

I will never complain and wish for more than I received from my Mom and Dad because they were both Christians who lived their faith. The knowledge of God and the demonstration of faith in Jesus Christ I received from them have been by far the greatest portion and the greatest inheritance I could have ever asked for.

If you had your choice right now, what would you choose – God or goods?

Some day all of our earthly blessings will be either gradually or suddenly stripped away from us. Then, what will we have left? As believers in Christ, we will have, always, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as our portion. There can be no greater joyous gift in our lives than God Himself. He is not only the Giver, but the Gift.