A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Thursday,
August 12,
2021
Collecting
eggs for our neighbor with a very stocky and wary steer
watching me, the unknown visitor, was just a little
unnerving (for me)!
"When
Many Bulls Surround"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Many bulls surround
me. Strong bulls from Bashan encircle me" (Psalm
22:12).
For the last several days
I (Brooksyne) have been collecting eggs for our
neighbors while they are participating in Ag Progress Days near State
College. Growing up on a farm in Tulsa I did this
often so it's a pretty familiar chore and the bonus is
that we have farm fresh eggs for the next week. However it's not been
without potential hazards. As I walked through the
neighbor's back yard toward the pasture I spotted the
bull* lying down in the shade along with the chickens.
With sunny 95+ degree days these animals use good sense
and cool themselves as best they can. But upon my
appearance the bull quickly sprung to his feet and
quickly headed toward me as I was preparing to scoop up
the eggs from the chicken coop. It made me a bit nervous
even though I was on the other side of the fence as he
lowered his head and made snorting noises. I was
watching to see that he didn't start pawing the ground
with his hooves as well. Fences can be trampled down
depending on the strength and determination of the
animal.
As this huge animal
appeared to be quite unhappy with my presence he stood
right up near the fence while I hid behind the side of
the chicken coop thinking he'd go away. But when I came
around the corner to gather the eggs there he was again
staring straight at me with steely eyes, not the gentle,
smiling eyes I'm accustomed to seeing from our pets at
home.
I began to take inventory of
what was around me so I could make a quick escape if
needed and the first thing I saw was the large above
ground swimming pool near the coop. But at my height,
age, and size I wasn't convinced that I could jump over
the side if forced to make a mad dash from the bull so I
darted my eyes about trying to locate the pool ladder. But I got away safely as I
took a shortcut through the side yard.
When I walked up on
Wednesday I was fairly apprehensive after my first two
experiences on Monday and Tuesday. I assessed the
situation from afar and the bull was in the usual shade.
As I approached once again he headed toward me as I
neared the coop. But perhaps he came to realize by day
three that I meant no harm and he simply watched me.
This time I could actually look him in his eyes and I
wasn't afraid. He didn't even growl and perhaps there
was even a glimmer of warmth in his gaze, just a tiny
bit like that of our pets, Mollie and Sadie!
After my two stress filled encounters on Monday and Tuesday the end of my story is that I walked away all three days unharmed, and the good news is that the family returns today!
Today let us consider an
obscure verse that uses bulls illustratively to describe
the perils of life. "Many bulls
surround me. Strong bulls from Bashan encircle
me". Thus our title today, "When
Many Bulls Surround".
Psalm 22 is best known as
a Messianic Psalm that begins with the words Christ
uttered from the cross, "My God, my God, why hast
Thou forsaken me?"
The Psalm has an
interesting pattern of moving between expressions of
worry and despair and peace and assurance such as these
verses:
Despair: "My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so
far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by
night, but I find no rest." (1,2)
Assurance: "Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the one Israel praises. In You our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were saved; in You they trusted and were not put to shame." (3-5)
Assurance: "Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the one Israel praises. In You our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were saved; in You they trusted and were not put to shame." (3-5)
Followed again by
despair: "But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who
see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their
heads. 'He trusts in the Lord,' they say, 'let the
Lord rescue him. Let Him deliver him, since he
delights in Him'.” (6-8)
We can only speak for
ourselves but we find the same pattern when we are in
a season of trouble. We get peace about a matter then
begin to despair when we take our eyes off the Lord.
But we're not the only ones to have this testimony!
What about you?
Again, our daily text
states, "Many bulls surround
me. Strong bulls from Bashan encircle me" (Psalm
22:12). In a time of trouble do you ever feel like
you are surrounded and encircled by many strong bulls?
This verse is followed by a lengthy diatribe of despair
(13-18). In describing his plight
the Psalmist uses several other animal illustrations
such as "Roaring lions that
tear their prey open their mouths wide against me"
(v.13). and "Dogs surround me, a
pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands
and my feet" (v.16).
But today let's end the message with peace and
assurance! "All the ends of the earth will
remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of
the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion
belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations."
(27,28)
So if you are being surrounded by bulls today
remember, dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over
the nations and certainly any situation you might be
facing.
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, there are times when it
seems there's no safe direction to turn as there
seems to be trouble completely encircling us.
But that's when we remember to look up to You,
the maker of heaven and earth, the King of all
creation. When we look to You for refuge we find
You to be a very present help in trouble, a
steadying presence in our lives and a friend
that sticks closer than a brother. Thank You for
your unending love, Your comforting protection
and for Your peace that surpasses all
understanding. Amen.
Daily
prayer: Father, there are times when it
seems there's no safe direction to turn as there
seems to be trouble completely encircling us.
But that's when we remember to look up to You,
the maker of heaven and earth, the King of all
creation. When we look to You for refuge we find
You to be a very present help in trouble, a
steadying presence in our lives and a friend
that sticks closer than a brother. Thank You for
your unending love, Your comforting protection
and for Your peace that surpasses all
understanding. Amen.*Bull
- After I felt comfortable enough to take a
closer look at the "bull" I saw that it was
actually a steer, though a very big one. I
talked to the owner's wife and she said he's
going to market next month so that might account
for how large he was. We raised steers on our
farm and had lots of beef to eat, but it was
always sad for us kids when they were loaded up
and taken to market! I still remember when my
younger brother, Jody, (probably about 9 years
old at the time) burst into tears after we sat
down for a meal and Mom (without thinking)
announced that we were eating Rusty. That was
one meal my brother passed up, understandably
so, as he was the one who had fed Rusty over the
past year or so and had come to know Rusty as a
pet rather than meat for the dinner table.
Speaking
of bulls, my family was a rodeo family. My dad
didn't like most sports but he loved rodeos so
we went to a lot of them as I was growing up.
Both my older brother, Jerry, and my younger
brother, Jody, rode the bulls. Jerry more
extensively and it was very scary to watch.
Years later, when Jody's son was old enough he
also rode the bull. But only once as his injury
was extensive enough that there was no more bull
riding allowed in the Sherrell family. It's
quite a sight to watch but very dangerous for
the riders, of course.
This plaque has a very personal
message for Brooksyne's 79 year old Uncle
Carroll who was her father's favorite and only
younger brother. About four years ago he had a
terrible run-in with his bull on the mountain
in Arkansas and it really messed up the right
side of his face and eye as you might note
from the photo. After plastic surgery his skin
was restored though the eye has some permanent
damage. Brooksyne found the plaque about the
bull and presented it to Carroll at their
family reunion in Arkansas two or three years
ago (as seen in photo). He and others found it
to be an amusing but also realistic message of
the danger of a fierce bull. He hung it in his
cabin on the mountain as a reminder and told
her a few weeks ago during their visit that
it's still there!
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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