Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. Psalms 143:10
I worked at a horse stable in Bloomington, Indiana, for one summer in my teens. There were better riders who would take folks on trail rides; I had the unglamorous job of mucking the stalls and brushing the horses. My friend George was a real horse whisperer. He could take a new skittish horse and make it a rideable beast with little effort–usually. I did witness him once or twice getting tossed about a bit on a first mounting. I learned from watching that the horse needs to understand who is in charge; they must first be humbled, becoming submissive to the bit and saddle, and then allow a rider to mount and be ridden.
When we first come to God, we recognize Him as our Master. Every day after that, like the horse, we learn to humble ourselves to his will. We gladly accept the bit in our mouth and permit the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Sometimes, though, the horse requires re-training. Like us, horses can be obstinate beasts at times. We ignore the prompting of the Spirit, refusing to walk or become otherwise uncontrollable. In our stubbornness, we can be a danger to ourselves and others. The only way to move forward is to humble ourselves again, relinquishing our willfulness to God’s will.
In this companionable relationship, we are led on all kinds of paths. The Holy Spirit levels out our paths when we encounter those dips in the trail and struggle up the rock-strewn hills. It’s not that we don’t experience those ups and downs, but the trail is easier in our submission, for God is with us.
God, we confess at times, we are stubborn and rebel against your guidance. We may even forget you are our God, chasing other gods instead. Forgive us, we pray. We come before you humbly today, acknowledging you as the one true God. We submit ourselves entirely to your will. Lead us into the path you would have us go; use us as you see fit. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
PS My friend George Giles passed away in 2016 at age 54 but spent most of his life as a trainer and consultant in horse breeding.
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