“Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.” Psalm 32:9 (NRSV)
I love horses. My formative years were spent living next to an Arabian horse farm. Our neighbor was a professor of Pyschology at Western Kentucky University, but his true love was horses. He bred them, raised them, trained them, and showed them. He worked out a deal with my brother, Kenny, and me to clean out stalls and he would let us ride. Every day after school Kenny and I would head over to the barn and clean stalls and then ride to our heart’s content. I learned a lot about work and discipline from learning how to handle horses.
One thing about horses was that no matter how tame a horse (and tameness is not a strong suit for Arabians), the horse wants to do his or her own thing. When I wanted to ride a hose, I always had to get a halter and lead (a halter is a bridle without the bit) and bring the horse to the barn to be saddled. Horses are beautiful animals, but they must be trained and they must be led or else they are useless.
The Lord is speaking through the psalmist to us. Don’t be like a horse. Horses need to be constantly led with bridles and bits and halters in order for them to be useful. They are intelligent animals, but only up to a point. God created us in his image and we have high intelligence and freedom. God wants us to use our intelligence and freedom to choose his way, to willfully follow him and stay near to his heart and purpose.
When we are immature followers of Jesus, we need constant instruction and help, but God wants us to grow in our understanding of him and his ways so that our hearts are transformed, our “want to” is bent toward God and his purposes so our choices reflect the goodness that he has placed in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t be like a horse. Stay near to God because you want to.
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