The Lord's Cattle

The Lord Owns the Cattle

God brings scripture to life through the everyday choices people make. What seems like an ordinary decision — keeping or releasing what we hold — can suddenly reflect a much deeper truth.

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”(Psalm 50:10)

This verse reminds us that God is the true source of all provision. He never runs out. The cattle — symbols of wealth and sustenance in ancient times — already belong to Him. When we grasp this, we no longer need to hold too tightly or live in fear of lack.

The First Woman and Her Cattle

Recently, I had two encounters that brought this scripture to life.

The first woman had cattle given to her as her provision. Yet, instead of releasing them when the time came, she called them “pets” and refused to sell them to finance her project.

• Symbolically: She leaned on her own resources rather than trusting God’s flow of provision. By clinging to what she already had, she carried unnecessary stress.

• The Pattern: By refusing to release her cattle, she entered a cycle of debt and strain. What was meant to bring peace became a burden she had to feed and maintain.

The Second Woman

The second woman purchased a caravan to explore and enjoy freedom. At the same time, she also bought a cow. That one cow soon became six, and instead of exploring, she found herself tethered to daily responsibility.

• Irony: The very purchase meant for joy (the caravan) was cancelled out by another purchase (the cows) that kept her stuck.

• The Pattern: Even selling the caravan would not have set her free — the money would only have gone straight into feeding the cows, continuing the cycle of upkeep instead of release.

The Common Thread

Both stories reveal the same truth: the cows became a burden rather than a blessing.

• One woman refused to release them — and so she carried debt and strain.

• The other woman multiplied them — and so she lost her freedom.

What was meant as provision became an anchor.

The Deeper Meaning

• Ownership vs. Stewardship: “The cattle don’t belong to us — they belong to the Lord. When we cling to them as our source, we carry the weight ourselves and miss the greater provision God is ready to release.”

• False provision: “Cows” represent possessions or responsibilities that appear to sustain us, but actually bind us.

• Freedom blocked: Both women chose the cow. And in doing so, they lost the very thing they longed for — whether completion of a project or the freedom to explore.

Our true help doesn’t come from cattle, caravans, or possessions. It comes from heaven:

“My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.”(Philippians 4:19)

A Reflection for Us

What are the “cows” in your life? The things you hold onto that seem to promise security, but actually weigh you down or keep you from the freedom God intends?

Release the cow. Trust the Shepherd.