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Archive for January, 2008

The Story of the Cannibal Cows

Have you ever heard the story of the cannibal cows? The story is found in Genesis 41. The rule of Egypt had one of those puzzling, troubling dream. It was the story of the cannibal cows. He tells us the story,

Gen 41:17-21

“In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and … After them, seven other cows came up — scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so.” (Genesis 41:17-21).

After the dream, the king turned to his wise men but they could not tell him the meaning of the dream. Only a man of God named Joseph could tell them the meaning of the dream. The seven fat cows were seven good year. The seven scrawny cows were seven years of famine. The famine followed the good times. The lesson for the king was that he needed to use the good times to prepare for the hard times.

Because he got the point, Egypt was spared from ruin. Because he used the good times to prepare for the hard times, they made it through the famine.

As you read this story, learn the lesson of the cannibal cows, the seven fat cows and the seven scrawny cows. Their story is one for all times. It is one for all lives. It is one for your family. As night follows day, life is a series of cycles. Good days follow bad days and bad days follow good days. If you will observe the lesson of the seven fat cows and seven scrawny cows, you will be prepared when seven scrawny cows come into your life. This is a hard lesson to learn, but ignoring it will lead to hard years.

As you read the story in Genesis 41, remember that the lesson of the cannibal cows came from God.

Lonnie Davis

The Frog Who Went to Be with Jesus

Little Gwen loves animals and somewhere she acquired a tiny frog. I guess she did not know that frogs were a plague, but that would not matter to a four-year-old girl. Even if it is a frog, it is still a pet. Little frogs in the possession of little girls do not have a long life span. Before long the frog died and her dad disposed of it. Her mother explained it to her by saying that the frog went to be with Jesus. Gwen cried and said, “I want Jesus to give me my frog back.”

We all understand that sentiment, not about a frog, but about someone we love who has gone to be with Jesus. When my Granddad died, I felt like crying that I wanted Jesus to give him back. I think of my mother often. My Aunt Maxine went to be with Jesus before I was old enough to go to school. I want to meet her again and get to know her better. We all have someone that makes us feel this way.

In the early church, these kinds of thoughts were hurting many at Thessalonica. They grieved for those who had died, or as Paul said, have “fallen asleep.” To encourage them he wrote, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thess 4:13-14).

When frogs are gone, they are gone. When Christians “fall asleep” they will wake up. We are not really dead; we have simply gone to be with Jesus. Do not grieve like others who have no hope.

Little Gwen called me last week and told me she had a new pet. It is a lady bug and it is living in a Tic Tac candy box. When it goes to be with Jesus we may have to have a full funeral service.

Lonnie Davis

It was a time when a woman with no child had no standing. It was a day when a man without a son had no legacy. Year after year, Sarah prayed for a child. Year after year her heart was broken. She knew her husband wanted a son and wanted to give him a son, but for a lifetime God had not blessed her. Finally she reached the age when having a child was no longer humanly possible. In such times it is easy for dreams to die.

In the midst of such broken dreams, God reached out to Abraham and Sarah. The Scriptures tell us, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11).

“Even though he was past age,” is an understatement. When their child was born, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. If nothing else, one can read that story and realize that nothing is impossible to God. Your dreams are never too big for God.

I want to be like Abraham, the friend of God. I do not want to wander with no place to call my own. I do not want to live in tents and ride on camels, but I do want to be God’s friend and receive blessings that are seemingly beyond human possibility. To do this, I must have Abraham’s secret.

What was the Abraham’s secret? Read the passage again and you will see. “He considered him faithful who made the promise.” Abraham’s believed God was faithful and would keep His promise.

Preachers love to preach on man’s need for faithfulness. What may be needed more are lessons reminding us of the faithfulness of God. Only when we believe that God is faithful and will keep his promises will we look past the blessings of earth and see the blessings of heaven.

All the promises that God has made to you in His Word, He will keep. God is faithful. Believe it!

Lonnie Davis