The Horse & Rider   

Human reason is like a drunken man on horseback; set it up on one side, and it tumbles over on the other.  Martin Luther

When we were growing up we always had horses.  We started out with a pony named Chico.  He was blind in one eye so when you rode him he always kind of listed to one side.  Later we had another pony and he always had a tendency to turn into our driveway when he got near our house.  If you weren’t paying attention he would turn into the driveway and falling off became a distinct possibility. 

Riding horses is very much like our Christian life.  You decide to ride so you put on the saddle, cinch it up, put your foot in the stirrup and swing aboard.  The problem is when you get up there you are at the mercy of the horse.  He can decide to walk sedately along or he can buck you off.  The horse can decide to take off running and if you don’t have a bridle on him you have no way of stopping him.

When you take the step to become a Christian it is often scary isn’t it? You are making the decision to put your life in God’s hands.  Letting go of control is not something we are trained to do.  So you get up there on the horse and you see the world from a different viewpoint.  You can allow God to take the reins on this ride or you can wrestle the reins from him.  We often are an impatient group so we wrestle the reins away and start driving so to speak.  The problem is God knows what is best for us and he wants us to be patient and wait on Him.  This is where we decide we want to gallop instead of trot and we race to whatever we are pursuing.  An obstacle presents itself and the horse gets spooked and slams on the breaks.  You land on your seat in the middle of the road trying to figure out how you got there.   

One of the scariest feelings is to be on a horse that is galloping at full speed.  You really don’t know what they will do.  If something on the road spooks them they can jerk unexpectedly to the right or left and you have no other option but to hang on for dear life or take a spill.  Horses also have a tendency to forget you are up there when they get spooked.  If you are around trees they run under branches and limbs without a thought to your safety. 

The wonderful thing about God is He is always there.  We can depend on Him to be steadfast no matter what obstacles occur in this life.  It always reminds me of riding a horse with no saddle.  You have to cling to the horse with everything in you just to stay on.  God wants us to cling to Him in the same way, with all our might and all our strength. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I place my trust in You.  Remind me that You are my salvation and help me to not depend on things of this world.  They are fleeting but You are eternal and I praise You forever and ever.    

Scripture:   No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.  Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.  Psalm 33:16-22