Amazin’ Graze

For several years, I have taught the concept of how Psalm 1’s “meditate on his law day and night” offers a cow cud affect in our spirits and mouths. Essentially, when we regularly input the Word of God, it goes down into our spiritual gut—the soul—and provides sustenance, much like the grass and water combo does for the cow. Then, when we are in any situation where the Word is needed—we aren’t sure what to say to a friend, how to answer a difficult question, or how to respond in a crisis—our spirits “burp up” the “cud”—the Word into our mouths—we speak it into the situation, then swallow it back down for another time.

Anytime you are silently praying for wisdom or don’t have a clue what to say and a Scripture just “randomly” pops into your mind and you speak it or act on it—that is the Psalm 1 “cow cud” principle at work.

Two weeks ago, I made a new friend, Dr. Jimmy Horner, from Texas. Jimmy is the husband of Teresa who I went to high school with. He is, to put it simply, an animal scientist, specifically an expert on ruminating animals. When I was sharing this concept with him, he added some great insight via his work with cattle herds.

Jimmy said when a client brings him in to examine and make recommendations for his herd, the first thing he does is see how many of the herd is ruminating—chewing their cud. He said in a healthy herd one-third up to one-half should be ruminating at any given time. He said if the first thing he notices is a strong enough percentage are not ruminating, something is wrong or the herd is sick and he then stops figuring out how to maximize the herd to begin steps to find out what is wrong to get them healthy.

Now, take the Psalm 1 concept and Dr. Jimmy’s ruminating rule and apply this to the local Church. If one–third to one-half of the Body—the herd—is not ruminating the Word of God at any one time, the Body could potentially be sick. God will have difficulty working through them, because He must first work on them. But if the “herd” is healthy, the Word of God will constantly be at work amongst and through a strong percentage of the people.

Unless you are a pastor or teacher, there won’t be much you can do for the “herd” in which you pasture amongst—except make sure you yourself are ruminating regularly—taking in God’s Word yourself to keep spiritually healthy, then “calling up the cud” when the Spirit needs you to use it with your neighbors.

Amen. Now let’s go graze!

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. —Psalm 1:2-3 MSG