A Pastor’s Perspective

“Horse Sense” by Mike Hill, pastor of Calvary Chapel Aberdeen (mjhill@ida.net)

I’m still a beginner at horse-back riding, but I definitely know one thing for sure.  It’s not the best idea to venture out for an equestrian experience without bit, bridle, and reins.  How else can a person control the horse? 

My horse isn’t always sensitive to the fact I’m still a beginner.  She’s definitely aware of it.  While heading home one day, I repeatedly kept her in check with the reins to restrain her from running.  Since she gets excited about getting back into her comfortable abode, I have to persuade her to walk on the return trip.  She isn’t convinced that it’s the best idea.  When the reins slipped out of my grip, she thought I dropped them and decided to go from zero to fifty.  I regained control with an aggressive tug on the reins. 

When I saw a rodeo video recently of a woman riding a horse without reins, bit or bridle, I was dumbfounded.  To top it off, she rode the horse barebacked.  I couldn’t believe it!  She galloped full speed and came to a sudden sliding stop.  She twirled the horse in place.  She performed a variety of the other tricks with the horse, all completely done without use of bit, bridle, or reins.  How?  The horse was obviously well-trained and sensitively tuned-in to the direction of the rider. 

In my relationship with God, which horse am I more like?  Mine or hers?  God doesn’t want us to be like a horse that needs to persistently be kept in check with a painful bit because we want to keep running ahead of God’s will and timing for our life.  Nor does He want to drag us around because of our stubborn attitude.  He desires us to be like a broken, well-trained and tuned-in horse, sensitive to the guidance of our Master.

“Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you” (Psalm 32:9).

This is a good picture of what God does not want us to be like.  But what does He want?  He wants us to listen, and to respond to His instruction.  He wants to guide us with His eye.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).  Just like the woman’s well-trained horse, who follows the direction of the gaze of the rider’s eyes, so also God wants us to prayerfully step in the direction of the future He sees for us, revealed in His Word, the Bible. 

We avoid a lot of unnecessary pain when we proactively remain sensitive to the prompting of God’s direction for us.  I watched that horse video with amazement.  And so will people watch your life, as they see what God can do through a heart completely submissive to His will.