I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Psalm 32:8-9 KJV
I’ve experienced both guided and bridled.
As a teacher, it wasn’t unusual for me to make eye contact with a student and then look in the direction they needed to attend to or follow.
Often, just a look would help a student to either refocus or realize the direction they needed to be heading.
But it required two things for this to be useful to them.
First, it required them to look at me for me to give them the help.
Second, it required them to follow the prompt I was giving them.
In stark contrast, is the horse or mule with a bridle in it’s mouth.
As a teen, my parents bought my sister and I a horse and to “keep it fair” a neighbor lady brought her horse over to stay at our house.
She thought it would be better that we each have a horse to ride rather than share one.
Her horse was very well trained and advancing in years.
He’d not been ridden regularly for some time.
I quickly learned how difficult it can be to get a bridle in a horse’s mouth who doesn’t want it.
Not only did we have to chase it all over the field to get a rope around his neck, once that was done, he’d lock his teeth together as firmly as possible to keep from taking the bit.
Since, I had never had a horse before nor any lessons, my experience left lasting impressions.
Namely, an old barn sour horse is extremely difficult to get a bridle in it’s mouth and not very fun to deal with once the bridle is in place.
The crazy thing was, riding wasn’t just for me, it was good for the horse.
Left to himself, he’d do nothing but eat and sleep, which isn’t healthy for him at all.
Of course he didn’t think it was any benefit to him and spent the entire time I was riding simply trying to get back to the barn, with or without me.
It didn’t increase my love for the animal nor my joy of riding.
Yet, God reminded me of these two circumstances, when I read the verses in Psalms.
I do not want to be like a sour horse or mule.
Not only are they miserable to deal with, I can’t see any joy in life fighting against my Creator every time He tries to direct or guide me.
I do want to be guided by His eye.
Which requires me to be looking to Him for direction, through His Word and Holy Spirit, as well as be willing to obey that direction.
I’m very thankful to the Lord for His Word and the experiences which have brought such depth of meaning to His instruction.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 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.
Psalms 32:8-9 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for teaching me through experiences what it is to be guided or bridled. Lord, please continue to help me keep my eyes upon You. Please help me look to You for every part of my life and to be soft, tender to Your instruction as well as Your correction. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your patience with me, such a slow learner. Thank You for Your mercy and grace which have given me eternal hope and a beautiful future with You. Thank You for Your ways, they are perfect. I love You, Lord. Thank You for first loving me. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 