As the Deer

Yesterday was a day of rejoicing for me. After a months of trial, John and I finally went to settlement and sold our townhouse. On this site, I haven't written much detail about the battle we have had with this house, but I have been emailing out the prayer requests to close friends and family, and we are grateful for all the prayers that ultimately led to our deliverance from the series of crises connected to the sale of this house. Based on the sequence of events that unfolded with the townhouse, it was clear that Satan was working his hardest to get some type of victory from the situation. Fortunately, we serve a God who is much greater than our enemy (1 John 4:4). Through the peace that surrounded us from everyone's prayers, John and I perservered through the trial and came out stronger than before both as husband and wife and as individuals walking with God. We both grew tremendously during this time, especially in regards to patience and faith. Even though we are relieved for it to be over, I can honestly say that I am already grateful for the experience because it brought me back to my knees in a way that I hadn't truly been for awhile. What Satan meant for harm, God used for good (Genesis 50:20).

A few hours after settlement ended yesterday, I took my dog for a walk. A little after 7pm, we set off on our usual path through the woods behind our house. During the walk, I was praising God for deliverance from the trials we recently faced and for the all the people who prayed for us. As we turned a corner on the path, about 50 feet in front of us we watched as a group of deer ran across the path and up the hill to the left of the path where we were walking. They stood still at the top of the hill and stared at us through the trees. I counted seven deer total, which is quite a few for a small wooded area in the middle of a very developed community. In my entire life leading up to this point, I had only seen as many as two deer together at once, so this sight was a brand new one for me. Since I was already in a prayerful mindset, I quickly recalled some scripture related to deer:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. --Psalm 42:1

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. --Psalm 18:33

I believe that God sent those deer across my path to remind me of His presence and power in my life. He sent seven of them because He wanted to make sure He got my attention!

Out of curiousity today, I decided to do some online research to see if there is any symbolism to deer. I found out on one site that in Native American culture, deer are symbollic of purity of purpose and of walking in the light. Although this was obviously not derived directly from the Bible, the idea of purity of purpose and walking in the light reminded me again of Psalm 42:1 and 18:33 because of the comparison in those verses to our own walks with God and the life of a deer in the forest. Even more exciting, I found out in an online book review that in ancient times Christians used the deer as a symbol for Christ partly because the stag was considered an enemy of the serpent and therefore a symbol of Christ's triumph over Satan. Wow. Christ just triumphed over Satan in a huge way in my life, then God sends deer across my path, and then I learn that in ancient times Christians used the deer to symbolize Christ's triumph.

Even further, Biblically speaking, seven is considered a holy number as a number of completeness and perfection. So perhaps the seven deer were sent to remind me that God's trimumph over Satan has already been completed and perfected with Christ's work on the cross. I truly have no reason to fear (Romans 8:31). This is loaded with meaning for me becuase of the personal inner struggle I have been battling with fear and faith for the past few years, long before this townhouse situation arose. God gives me goosebumps in the way He orchestrates everything so perfectly and so beautifully! I am also awed by His personal and intimate interest in me and of all His children. He reaches out to us where we are, but so often we are too caught up in ourselves to notice. I praise Him and thank Him for His relentless pursuit of my wandering heart.

Posted by Kim at March 22, 2007 10:30 AM