Out Our Way: The Watcher

Psalm 121:1 - My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Indeed, He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Out our way, you can learn a lot from watching cattle. Now that calving season is here, watching mama and baby bond is a marvel that most humans share in the delivery room at the hospital. There is a reason David, a shepherd, wrote so many of the Psalms. I never worked sheep, but I gather that while very different critters, they do share some common traits.

Now in working with cow/calf units, being a tenderfoot, I did not know that cattle share responsibility for the calves. Charlie and I were out checking the herd one spring and I noticed a good many cows down by the reservoir - but without their calves. Charlie chuckled and had me follow him over a ridge and showed me some 10-15 calves all being watched by one mama. Seems cattle "babysit" for each other and take turns, sharing the load and considering the whole herd as family - not just their own offspring. I wonder how many humans have that sort of "cow sense."

Even so, the real watcher is the rancher or cowhands who keep an eye out. I have shared the reminder that David's sling was a lethal weapon and with it he had taken down wolves, lions and even bears. Goliath was a city boy and had no idea. He never had a chance.

Out our way, the predators are far less common than in the old days, but having faced down two lions in the wild who caught wind of me and took off, not mention coyotes who race along out of rifle range when they see me or Charlie - it is clear they have learned not mess with the herd when the watcher is around.

It is thus no surprise that David referred to the Lord as his "Watcher" - the shepherd (or cowhand) for God's people ... God's herd. [Psalm23]. We are called, like the "babysitter cows," to watch over each other and view the whole human race as family to be cared for. But our greatest trust and faith is when "The Watcher" is amongst them ... and we have His promise that is always.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Brother John