Don't Be a Horse (Psalm 32:8-9)

Today's scripture: Psalm 32:8-9

Sometimes I feel like a "horse or ... [a] mule ..." Did that catch your attention (if so, you should click on the link to today's scripture!)?

The psalmist writes that the Lord wants to instruct and teach us. He wants to guide us. But sometimes we're like horses or mules that must be harnessed in order to lead them.

I love horses. I fell in love with them when I was a preteen. We lived in Cerritos, California, before there was a shopping center or auto mall. Behind us lived a family that owned a few horses, and I just loved visiting them. I rode a bit when I was younger, and I've continued my infatuation to this day (even though I don't get a chance to ride these days ...). Can't say I know much about mules ...

One thing I have to say, though: Horses don't usually seek to be guided or led. They would much rather be out in the pasture roaming free. They have to be trained, and that training usually includes bits and harnesses, which curtail their freedom. Sometimes, in the training process, a horse will rebel, pulling against the restraints.

Sometimes, I too try to pull away from God's teaching. Can you relate?

Then I stop to think about what it really means that God wants to teach me. Instruct me. It is His desire that learn more about Him, that I know Him more and more deeply.

I can learn from Him, be instructed by Him, be guided by Him—that's one of the reasons He left His written word for me ... for you.

Don't be like a horse ... or a mule ... and fight God's instruction. Read His word. Study it. Meditate on it. Seek His guidance every day, every moment. Follow His path.