“But you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.”
(Malachi 4:2 NIV)
Years ago, when our mother was very ill, my sister sent me a cow. It sounds strange, but she knows my love of all things Iowa. At the time, we were both very, very sad. Char was driving across the fields from her home in Chicago to Mom’s house in Iowa and on the way, she saw a cow standing under a windmill. To her glorious credit, she pulled over and snapped this fantastic picture, texted it to me in Texas with the words “Be encouraged.”
That first cow pic started a slew of bovine inspiration. For the rest of that year and into the next, we flung virtual cows across the miles. #cowsofencouragement became our thing. January came and I sent her an entire cowlendar so she could be encouraged every day of the year.
The cow of encouragement jumped off the page for me this morning. The day of the Lord will be brutal for the arrogant evildoer, but the reverent will rejoice. Righteousness will fall on them like the sun’s rays; healing, restoring. And frolicking will ensue. Let’s borrow from that today. It’s dark and dripping here this morning, the weather feels like an appropriate end to 2020. But I can recall the warmth of the sun on my face and arms. How much more wonderful will righteousness feel?
And the frolicking. I don’t know about you but I’ve always been a frolicker at heart. There was much singing and dancing in my childhood, not because my home was terribly happy but because I am a person of merriment by design. It seems like living does all it can to strip a person of their desire to frolic – after effects of the fall, I suppose. But this scripture assures us, one day, when the weight of sin has been removed from this world, we will frolic once again.
That’s where I want to land today in my head. I want to lay hold of a joyous someday promise: frolicking cows in a heavenly field. One day all this pain and doubt and dreariness will wash away entirely and we will go out in joy, led into a lovely life of peace with our Creator. We will dance and sing and laugh with all creation. We will live in love for always.
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12 NIV)
Dear Lord, we live in sad, soggy fields now, but our hearts are encouraged. It will not always be like this. One day we will go out in joy, with dance in our step and hope fulfilled in our hearts. Please give us clear vision of the days to come in You. Build us up in Your word and Your love. We look with longing towards eternity as we revere You here and now. Amen.
**This song has given me such encouragement in the midst of this long year. I hope you’ll give it a listen. <3 I can’t wait. <3