Ringing Of The Cowbell

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:7-10

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

Those of you who have read these devotional blog postings graciously and faithfully to which I owe you my deepest thanks, know that I love bells. I intently hope that Heaven has a bell tower and if it does it will contain the most majestic sounding tones and peals ever known. I can't tell you why I like bells other than the obvious points: the sound, the mechanics, the towers, and just the act of pulling the rope. I have never been a member of a church with a bell, but in every church I visit and think it would be okay to ask, I ring their bells.

Well now its a new year and with New Years come traditions. On New Year's Eve, on the stroke of midnight, we go outside and shout 'Happy New Year!" and then following that ceremonial chant, I would pull out a old cowbell and clang it while we give the ceremonious chant, then grab the accordion and sing Auld Lang Syne, then pray and hit the hay.

Now the cowbell isn't the most melodious instrument you will listen to, but it does have a certain qualities that you may not recognize. These qualities can remind us of the Influence and Presence of God in our lives. No, really it can, I haven't lost it altogether in pulling this together. Lets find out......

The first characteristic of the Cowbell is its Unmistakable Tone.

You do not use a cowbell for a handbell chorus or for the steeple of a majestic cathedral. No that would not be desirable simply because of its flat and rather cheap banging sound. A bell is designed to resonate its peals, and the cowbell is more muted thus not presenting a clear melody. However the cowbell is unmistakable. When the cowbell rings you know exactly what it is. You don't have to wonder what key its in, you just know its a cowbell. The Holy Spirit is like this. Of course His tone is not inharmonious, but His Voice is unmistakable. You know His Voice like sheep knows the voice of the Shepherd. The Spirit's voice is unlike any other voice as it will not lead you into temptation or sin, it seeks to guide you while glorifying God, and it calls out constantly to the believer. The Cowbell can be a welcome sound if you're familiar with it, and thus is the Holy Spirit's voice if you value His calling and help in your life. In fact, you yearn to hear it when you desire to be led by God and the ringing tone so separate from everything else is the sweetest tone you know.

The second example of the Cowbell is when it rings it provides an Indication of Movement.

Obviously by is own given name, the Cowbell is to be worn, by the cow. Actually sheep where a smaller version of the bell too in some instances. But for our discussion the cow is most thought of. Folks on a farm who have a single cow or just a few for various purposes would often need to locate their investment. Sometimes the cow will wonder far off in search of better pasture, or it would sometimes get stuck in a mud bog. In any case, every time the animal moves a bit, the bell around its neck claps its famous flat gong. This aids in the owner finding it. Again this can be an illustration of the Holy Spirit involved in our lives. You see when we move in a certain direction whether it be good or sinful, the Holy Spirit is tied about us to remind us that we are moving and He is going with us. Now the Lord doesn't need a physical device to help Him find His wayward son or daughter, but we need it to remind us of where and what we are involved with and in. Let's suppose you are doing some sort of ministry that the Lord leads you to do. As you do it, the Holy Spirit is there to cheer and encourage you as move forward in your actions for Him. On the other hand you find yourself in a place you know you shouldn't be or watching something on TV you know doesn't fit your God given character, then the Holy Spirit constantly rings out as you move farther into that sin. He reminds you of His presence and that you need to repent and get away from the place your in.

Finally, a Cowbell stays true to its purposes.

As I mentioned earlier, you never will have a sweet sounding cowbell chorus, its not designed so to be. You don't use a cowbell for any other purpose than its intent to help you find the cow. You also will find that the Holy Spirit always stays true to His purposes. The Holy Spirit cannot be one thing today and be all about something else tomorrow. Whatever God's Word says, the Spirit backs up. Whatever God's character dictates, the Spirit follows with it. We might tend to view the Trinity as three persons with the same goal yet a tendency to offer a bit different views on things. So it is with a family. The mom and dad are supposed to be agreed totally on a certain policy, yet, the child knows that he or she may be able to get on or the other parent to bend a bit to waver from the dictate and be on the child's side when he or she wants something. This is not the case with God's Spirit. You cannot go to one member of the Trinity and expect that Person to act differently. We should be so thankful that God doesn't change or is not wavering in His statutes and decisions, otherwise we would be in eternal jeopardy. Be assured that whatever the Holy Spirit renders to you, God the Father and God the Son support it wholeheartedly. The purposes of the Holy Spirit are to guide, direct, admonish, encourage, seek, provide wisdom and encouragement and to be our constant Helper and Companion. These purposes never change in their intent and function, just as a cowbell cannot change what it is intended for.

Do you have a cowbell in your home? You may not, but they aren't that expensive to obtain. Consider getting one and let it be a reminder to you of God's present working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.