“The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?”
You look at life differently as a parent. Before you had kids, you were the person who would wish that mom would quiet her kids or get frustrated when a family was taking too long to order at your fast-food restaurant. Yes, life has a way of changing your perspective on things. Now, I see the mom who is having a tough time with her kids in the store, and I want to see if she needs help. The family is taking too long to order. Well, I willingly give them more time because I was in their shoes.
We are compared to sheep all throughout the Bible. I have never been around sheep, but I have been around cows. The verse today reminds me of frustrating times during my youth when we had to work with cows. They look all calm and nice out in the pasture, but when you have to put them in a pen or load them into a trailer, your patience is tested. I can remember one time when my dad and brother would rather have shot the cow and loaded it than put up with any more unruly behavior trying to load it into the trailer alive.
Our nature is stubborn and sinful. We cannot get away from it. The sheep side of us comes only when we submit to Christ. Simple and easy, right? Not so fast. The sermon this past Sunday was about Paul dealing with his sinful nature. He states that he does what he knows is wrong and says what he knows is bad, all while fighting the temptation of his sinful nature. If Paul struggled with it, then you can rest assured we will too.
Today, realize the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ can rule and reign in your life, making you a peaceful person, but only if you are willing to admit the Lord has something better for you than your current sinful habits. You see, when we hold on to our sinful attitudes and habits, we are like that stubborn cow refusing to get loaded; we cause all kinds of uproar. Paul tells us, after admitting his sinful flesh and how he struggles with it, to keep our minds on things above and not on the flesh. In other words, keep Jesus right next to you, and if He would approve of whatever you are doing, then go right ahead. But if your sinful nature is trying to take over, then stop. You don’t lose all those stubborn pounds in one day; you have to commit to losing them through diet and exercise. Over time, you will lose those pounds. Start today on a diet of the Bible and Jesus, and get your spirit in shape to handle the stubborn nature that is in all of us.
Prayer: Father, I submit myself to You and Your will. I willfully put You first in all things, knowing that You have already ordered my steps, and I should not be wondering if Your way is better than mine. I pray that I will not be stubborn against Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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