The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh. They stayed on the one highway, lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh. 1 Samuel 6:12 HCSB
On family vacation we decided to take a horse ride. We all mounted the big animals and began our ride behind one of the guides with his horse. At one point on the trail my wife’s horse decided he was no longer going to go. He stopped and no matter how much coaching my wife did, he would not move. It was not until the guide came back and took the horse by the reins that he started to move. Animals are unpredictable. At times they seem to have a mind of their own. But God, the creator of all animals, has everything under control and even the animals obey His commands.
Without any guidance the cows quietly made their way to Israel. It would have been natural for the cows to stray into a field to eat or even stop since they did not have someone guiding them. Only God has the power to cause this to happen. We are reminded of how Jesus calmed the sea and caused the disciples to catch a large amount of fish. God is in control of every aspect of creation including the cows, fish, and even the winds. God did not do this to pass the test of the Philistines but rather to show that He is the one true God that has power over all other gods and even the animals of the world.
Challenge: God has everything under control, even when it seems things are falling apart. Listen to the new song by Casting Crowns titled “Just Be Held” that encourages us to “stop holding on and just be held” and “your world isn’t falling apart, it’s falling into place” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIZitK6_IMQ