We had driven about 2 hours into mid-Wisconsin when I realized I had not seen any cows. Not one, none, zilch! I glanced at the vehicles passing us and, sure enough, all of the Wisconsin license plates said “America’s Dairyland”. I might be a bit forgetful, but I’m pretty sure cows are an important part of Wisconsin’s dairyland.
I decided to do a little research and discovered Wisconsin has about 1.28 million cows on average. Every dairy cow generates more than $34,000 worth of additional economic impact. The state produced 30.6 billion pounds of milk in 2019. This is all very compelling information, but where are the cows?
So what do missing cows have to do with faith? I’m glad you asked! In spite of my futile attempt to find vast herds of cows, I could see evidence of their existence everywhere in the fertile green grasslands, large red barns with sophisticated milking equipment, acres of fences, and the occasional cow pie. I was reminded of Hebrews 11:1 – What exactly is faith? Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
- By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. – Hebrews 11:3 (NLT)
- It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. – Hebrews 11:4 (NLT)
- It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. – Hebrews 11:5-6 (NLT)
- It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. – Hebrews 11:7 (NLT)
- It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. – Hebrews 11:8-10 (NLT)
- It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. – Hebrews 11:11-12 (NLT)
- All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. – Hebrews 11:13-15
I want those around me to see evidence of my faith in God and his plan for my life. I want them to see evidence of the hope I have in Jesus. Even if I never have a conversation with them, I want them to see the evidence and believe that God is living and working in my life. No cows? No problem. Look for the evidence.
Simple Faith 