Devotionals

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Life for cattle ranchers in earlier days required patience, persistence, and protection.Ranchers today deal with many of the same basic challenges; but now there are so many places to turn for knowledge and support, that they hold a big advantage over their forefathers.

Early ranchers started from scratch, coming to a new frontier and staking a claim for large areas of open range. Disputes over boundaries were common and at times a rancher had his property seized. The cattle experienced problems of disease and veterinary medicine could only do basic care. Weather conditions then and now can cripple the cattle industry.

So, ranchers needed to be patient, take the good with the bad, and wait to build up a good herd to drive to areas paying high price for beef. Persistence needed to grow in the lives of both the ranch owner and his right hand man, the foreman. They needed an attitude of determination, to never say quit!

They also needed protection. Wild animals could attack any unprotected herd and cause a great loss to their business. Cattle needed constant care, to ensure they found plenty of grass and fresh water. Any rancher knew very well his herd needed to be protected from cattle rustlers! If not, steer were stolen; brands were changed; and it became a case of one man’s word against another.

You may be surprised to learn just how far back rustling goes… “The men of Gath who were born in the land killed Ezer and Elead because they went down to raid their cattle,(1Chronicles 7:21 HCS).”

Robbery and violence are paired and greed binds them together. We still need a hero to ride in to our rescue. He is faithful and true! “For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and injustice; I will faithfully reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them (Isaiah 61:8 HCS).”

He will not ride off into the sunset; He creates it!

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