Without Faith, We Fall

On April 30, 2017, God blessed our little homestead with the first calf born on this property. We named the beautiful little gal Uno, Italian for one. As you might imagine, I was one nervous fella waiting for my first-time heifer to deliver. I had my vet on call, texting him throughout the day. I called my friends Donnie and Gary multiple times to ask questions. Then, about 5:30 pm, Frances delivered in less than three hours of labor. While she tended her baby, I watched from afar as other expectant mothers gathered round to investigate.

After 20 minutes, the little calf made it to her feet and took her first wobbly steps. You can imagine the joy and elation I expressed to God in that moment. I am certain neighbors who drove down the dusty gravel road we live on must have thought I lost my mind. I stood in the middle of my driveway, arms and eyes raised to heaven, praising Abba for His blessing.

One proud Grandpa, I thought all was going well; asking everyone to come over and admire my calf. Two days later, mama was lying with the other cows and her calf was nowhere to be found. I’ve seen mamas put their calves down and hide them while they feed, rest, and recover. After six hours of not seeing the calf, I began to worry.

I imagined coyotes. I wondered if the calf had gotten the needed colostrum. In my worry, Satan sneaked into my thoughts. I convinced myself the little calf was lying dead or dying out in the tall rye grass and clover — abandoned to die alone. Filled with rage, I told myself if the mama cow had done that; she was going to the auction this week. There’s no place for a poor mother in my herd.

As I drove back and forth across my pasture, I leaned out over the front of the ATV trying to spot the calf (I had cataracts in both eyes). I asked God why He allowed this calf to die. What did I do that didn’t honor You, Father? When and where did I fail you? Why would you punish me by letting this calf die? I knew in my heart, God does nothing to harm His children and brings good from every situation if we submit to His leading. I uttered these questions because in even the most mature Christians; we remain human. Satan often attacks our vulnerabilities using our inherent human nature.

After a lengthy search — driving slowly through the tall grass to not run over the calf — I found her doing exactly what mama had prodded her to do. Lay there camouflaged and be still until she returned. The Holy Spirit then convicted me of my crisis of faith. I kneeled beside the little calf and thanked God for His faithfulness. I begged Him to help me grow stronger in my faith.

Amid my prayer, I heard the recognizable still voice in my heart;

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." (Isaiah 7:9 NLT).

Great joy comes from knowing the truth of God’s Word dwells within our heart. In His truth, we have constant reassurance that our Father is always with us.

We all have times when we question God; when we don’t understand His ways or reasons. We all sometimes succumb to temptations and trials through a chink in our Armor of God. I share this to remind each of us how important our faith is in our Christian walk. I pray this helps remind us of an important truth—Without Faith, We Fall.

Copyright © May 2018 J.D. Wininger, used with permission.