Rev. A.J. Ogden

Someone has well said, “One picture is worth a thousand words.” I remember seeing many years ago, a picture that would be hard to forget because of the message it presented to me.

From the picture I saw the owner of a large plantation that had a great herd of cattle. Evidently, he changed his cows from one pasture to another for better grazing, as conditions demanded from time to time. One of his good pastures happened to be on some very low land that flooded when the river overflowed its banks. When a rain storm would come to cause flooding, the farmer would transfer the cattle to the high land side of the river. When the water was rising, they rounded up the whole herd and ran them onto the barge for transfer to high ground. This was a frustrating event for the cows!

In the picture I saw a herd of frightened cows mooing. I imagine they were scared to death and wondering what terrible things were happening to them. I thought I could see extreme fear on one cow’s face as she crossed the raging river. Now she was safe, but she did not know it. I guess cows have a right to be frightened just as humans do.

People certainly do have their fears also. All of us who have lived, even a few years on earth, have gone through some frightening times in life. We will probably have some more. But many times in the Bible we hear the Lord say, “Fear not”… Sometimes we know we should not fear, but we do.

At times God changes us from one pasture to another and we feel insecure even when we are very secure. Psalm 23:4 tells us, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Even in the valley of the shadow of death God is with us. What a consolation!

At my age of 81, I know God is going to put me in another pasture before long, but I’ll not fear nor dread it because of the following reason: John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Changing pastures doesn’t have to scare me because Jesus will be there to say, “Fear not, Heaven is wonderful!”