Day One Hundred Ninety-Five “Chewing the Cud”
Have you ever noticed that every time you see a cow, it appears to be constantly chewing on something? The field that abuts our home is grazing land for our neighbor’s herd, so I witness this chewing phenomenon daily. After some research, I learned that cows spend nearly eight hours out of every day chewing their cud, that’s upwards of 40,000 jaw movements per day! That’s a LOT of chewing! Cattle are ruminant animals, meaning that their stomachs contain four compartments. When a cow takes a first bite of food, it chews that morsel just enough to moisten the food, swallow it, and send it to the first section of the stomach, the rumen. There it is mixed with digestive liquids, softened into small balls of food, referred to as cud. The food is then returned to the cow’s mouth, where it is re-chewed and swallowed again. This extra effort is essential to extract all the nutrients from the food, so cud-chewing is often used as an indicator of a healthy herd.
If we, as the church of God, want to be a healthy herd, we need to mimic the fine art of chewing the cud. Psalm 1 presents us with a blueprint for successful Christian living, a way in which “whatsoever” we “doeth shall prosper.” How to we find that spiritual prosperity? We find it by immersing ourselves in the Word of God; not simply reading our Bibles, but delighting in it, meditating on it “day and night.” Meditate, to think deeply on or focus one’s mind for a period of time, to consider, to deliberately ponder. After the death of Moses, “the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun…saying…This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.” The rewards for this day and night meditation, “that thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Good Success, the ONLY MENTION of that particular Hebrew word in the entire scope of Scripture, and it is intertwined with the concept of immersing oneself deeply into God’s Word.
Most of us have a daily reading plan, moments we spend in God’s Word, but how often in our busy day do we meditate? Meditation is a deeper step, a deliberate act of keeping that Word with you all day, thinking it over, pondering it, taking that thought that God placed upon your heart and allowing those words to impact you as you go about your daily responsibilities. If we want to mirror that “tree planted by the rivers of water,” and bring forth her bountiful “fruit,” if we want to be a healthy herd, then some chewing on that Word is essential. Don’t just read today, meditate, and allow that passage to ruminate through your mind and soul the entire day. Chew on it, delight in it, digest all the nutrients, saturate your soul with His wisdom, and you are promised to “have good success.”
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Lord, help me to take an example from my neighboring herd as I feast feast upon Your Word throughout my entire day, allowing the thoughts that You plant in my soul to resonate in my life.
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