Early in my faith walk I had no idea how DAMAGING it was to get MY OWN horses ready for the battles of life and think it was not only sufficient, but “the best way to go.” Recognizing my INADEQUACY without God wasn’t even a seed that could grow. It did not exist in me.
Moving down my spiritual road a piece has brought my INADEQACY without God into essential focus. Though full of pain, this growth process has taught me that Christians who trust their own horses–any natural, self-powered means of protection and support—disconnect themselves from God’s glorious power.
WHY?
Because running our own “protection” STABLE of horses to get us through this life WRONGLY elevates us above Christ.
On the saddle’s other side is the promise that if we trust God for the horse-power we need to live this life on earth, we will receive perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3-4). But there is a condition to that promise: We must trust, surrender, and obey God. And we must shut down our own stable of horses.
No matter how formidable a challenge appears, or how prepared we think we are, the outcome rests in the amount of faith we put in the Lord of Heaven and earth. NOT OUR OWN HORSES. NOT OUR OWN HORSEPOWER.
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31
Running your own horse stable to generate your personal horsepower breeds spiritual overconfidence. I know this is 100% true because it happened to me earlier in my faith walk. It was subtle in the beginning, but nonetheless perceptible. There was no doubt about what was happening in my life. That lack of focus seemed to lessen my commitment to Christ. And that lessening interrupted my spiritual growth.
I knew then that generating my own horse power creates a wide canyon between me and God that no horse of man can traverse.
Getting in position to receive God’s blessings starts when we close our horse stable and turn to him for our spiritual horsepower.
I ask God to turn me away from trying to generate my own horsepower. To guide me to him and him alone for the power to live a Christ-like life.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Which horse will you ride to your next battle.
