God Leads
December 2005
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"I
will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I
will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless
horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under
control." - Psalm 32:8-9 |
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Riding horses was a part of my childhood. There were riding
stables near our home in Dallas that we visited quite frequently
and Christian camps that entertained us during the weeks of
summer. I have clear memories of sitting atop these huge animals
as a young girl and being fascinated by their power and strength.
Never frightened, I would thrust my heels into the animal's
side in hopes that he would take my cue and quicken up the pace.
I loved to trot and gallop.
Long before I was able to ride a pony alone, I would sit on
the saddle and hold onto its horn. An adult would take the reigns
and reposition them so that he could lead the horse and control
its pace. I remember my mom standing nearby watching me ride.
The wrangler would walk around the riding arena and control
the horses every move. I was never more content then when I
had the chance to ride these animals. However, on one occasion
the pony I had chosen to ride didn't want to cooperate. Half-way
through the ride, he started to rebel and turn in the opposite
direction of where the wrangler wanted to go. A tug-of-war ensued
between the two. At first I thought it was fun, and then I became
frightened as the animal began to rear back to get away from
his guide. I tried to hold on as best I could as the wrangler
tried calmly to get the horse to come towards him instead of
running away. The constant pulling on the reigns caused the
saddle to loosen. It began to slip sideways. I could hold on
no longer. One final backward pull from the pony and I fell
to the ground. I could hear my mother calling out, "Priscilla,
I'm coming." In a moment the struggling pony's hoof came
down on my neck. I don't remember much after that, just my mother?s
arms scooping me up off the ground and cuddling me.
If only that horse would have obeyed its master and followed
the simple leading of the reigns this catastrophe could have
been avoided.
God leads, we are simply too go in His direction. He makes the
ride of life easy for us. We don't have to navigate the course
or create our own way, we just have to follow. Not only are
we free from the responsibility of charting our own course but
we have the freedom to choose to follow His lead. He doesn't
drag us toward Him by harsh leather reigns that He has attached
to our hearts. Rather, he desires to lead us without the "bit
and bridle" needed to direct the "senseless horses".
He wants us to choose to follow because we love Him and know
that wherever He is taking us is the best place for us to go.
Why do we struggle against the leading of the One who has our
best interest in mind and knows exactly where we need to go
and how we need to get there? We often think that we must know
better then He and so we struggle and pull and fight to get
away from Him - the One who ultimately controls and sees all
things. When we feel His gentle urging that encourages us to
spend time with Him, we pull away. We feel it again, this time
influencing us to spend time on our knees; we rebel. We feel
his gentle touch steering us in the direction of love and generosity
but it is too inconvenient so we refuse. Time and time again,
the reigns of His guidance steer us towards the things that
are not only pleasing to Him but safe for us however we often
choose mulish stubbornness and refuse to cooperate.
Yet, the Wrangler has something in his view that we cannot see.
Sitting atop the ride of our lives is another who we have forgotten.
Our decisions may affect their lives as well. There is somebody
on the ride with us whose safety depends on our willingness
to submit. Our children, spouses, students, church members,
extended family or maybe a close friend are along for this ride
and how we choose to respond to the Lord could in fact have
an effect on them. Our disobedience could be the cause of their
pain. Whose life will be affected by how you choose to respond
to Him? As he leads, will you follow? He promises to be our
watchful guide that gazes over our every move with His watchful
eye. If we commit to walk in the direction that He is going,
His safety is a guarantee not merely for you but also for those
who are along for the ride.
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