During the summer months, I keep my miniature horse, Frank, and his companion Minnie, the donkey, in a pen attached to the barn throughout the day. Once evening arrives, I release them into the corral where they can graze all night until the sun rises. Why, you might ask?
Dr. Noman Tariq explains:
Grass is most risky for horses at certain peak times. In the spring, new growth means high levels of sugar and starch. After a frost, stressed plants build up even more sugar. These changes can lead to laminitis, obesity, and other health issues. Horses at risk should have limited turnout during these periods. The weather has a significant impact on the amount of sugar in grass. Sunny days raise sugar levels, and cold nights stop plants from using it, so it builds up by morning.
Miniature horses and donkeys are especially prone to laminitis and diabetes, so keeping them penned up when grass sugar levels are highest is important for maintaining their good health. Although Frank and Minnie are not pleased and don’t understand their situation, I know why keeping them penned is important, and that’s what really counts.
Sometimes, we feel penned in too, just as I’m sure David did after being anointed as King and then having to wait approximately twenty years to finally take the throne. God, however, knew that David needed not only to be anointed king but also to mature spiritually, emotionally, and mentally before he could be the kind of King who could rule wisely. The throne did not come to David until God knew that he was ready for the task at hand.
Likewise, because God’s timing is always perfect, He often makes us wait a time before the way opens, allowing us to move forward in a certain direction. Understanding that this is not a punishment but a time for the Holy Spirit to mature and grow as God deems fit allows us to wait more patiently and spend time praising Him for the good work He is doing within us. In the end, we will be well equipped for the good work He has prepared for us.
Enjoy the pens in which God places you, knowing they have a purpose.
Father God, thank You that Your timing is always perfect. Remind us through the power of Your Holy Spirit that waiting on You is not wasted time, but a time to grow, mature, and praise You for the good work You are doing in us, so that in turn, we might accomplish the good work You have prepared for us to do. In Christ’s name, amen.
Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God.
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