Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways”, declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Proverbs 16:9 say, “The mind of man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps” and in Proverbs 20:24, “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way?”
God showed me this truth through a recent experience with a bull calf named Covie. The mother cow refused to let him nurse. Covie was four days old when we got him and he had survived by stealing milk from other cows as their own calf nursed. Once the cows realized it was not their calf nursing they would push him away. Covie was rejected from his mama as well as all the other cows in the field. He was dehydrated and in desperate need of milk but he no longer had the energy or the will to suck. He would not take a bottle. No matter how hard we tried, he would stick out his tongue, push the nipple out of his mouth and contort his head to get away. He was weak and didn’t stand much and was going down hill fast. We had to start tube feeding him. This meant sticking a tube down his throat to his stomach and putting his bottle of milk or electrolytes through it. It was not a fun process for us or for him. At first he was so weak, that he did not fight it. We were feeding him twice a day to get liquids into him and we were not seeing much progress. Several times throughout each day, we would try the bottle and he would not take it. We tried everything on that nipple to make it desirable! We tried honey, molasses, and even chocolate syrup. But to no avail, and we put the tube down his throat twice a day for six days! On the last day we were about to give up as he was fighting us at this point and bawling to let us know he didn’t want it. We felt horrible! We wondered if there was something wrong with him and it was nature’s way to have the mama cow reject him and maybe we needed to let him die. But on that day, he sucked on our finger and we were able to get him to drink some electrolytes out of a small bucket held to his mouth. He liked the flavor! The next day we were able to switch to a bottle! It took him another day to take milk on his own as he rejected the taste after being tubed for so long. Now he loves the bottle. What a joy it is to see him running around the field today as a 6 week old calf!
So what does Covie have to do with God you might ask? When I was trying to care for him by feeding him, I was pleading with him to take the bottle, I realized that God may feel that way with us sometimes. God knows what is good for me but I resist it. I had milk for Covie and the milk was life for him but he resisted it with everything in him. He fought hard against it and would not open his mouth or suck. The only way we could feed him was through force, with the tube. In his limited understanding he was confused, scared and hurt. Why was I doing this to him? Why didn’t I just leave him alone? How many times do I question things like Covie? I question, I feel hurt, rejection, and maybe confusion. Yet, God’s understanding is so much greater than mine! He sees a different view than I do! He says, “TRUST ME”. The next time you start to struggle, remember Covie fighting the very thing that would bring him life and Trust God. Press into God and His word. He’s got so many truths to share with you that will encourage and strengthen you and maybe even answer some of your questions.