Guidance
James 3:3 “Behold, we put bits in the horses mouth, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.”
There are two ways to break a horse. Gently, over time, getting the horse to accept you, and your weight on him; till the horse and you become partners.
He is mastered, but by love.
Or severely, which makes the horse accept you and your weight—now, by wearing down it’s resistance.
He is mastered, but by force of circumstances.
How would you like to receive your guidance from the Lord?
We can be brought to the place that we are directed by the force of circumstances; which is like the bit and bridle.
We must do, because we have no choice in the matter.
But this is not what the Lord Jesus Christ would have for us.
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.”
This is gentle guidance. Remember one look from the Lord sent Peter out weeping.
The Lord would have us all look to Him for our guidance, if we would just see Him as He is. The Creator, and Sustainer of the Universe is our Lord and Savior.
He loves us, and wants us to enter into—with Him—all the joys of service to Him. For in Him is glorious liberty of spirit!
True freedom is freedom from the power of our sin, and self.
The bondage of I have to do this (which can be any addiction), and the bondage of I want to do this (how many “things” we want: no contentment, just want).
We can be free from these, by the liberty of the Holy Spirit’s control.
The closer to God we get, the more freedom we have.
I will instruct and teach you, in the way that you shall go.
What this means, is that He will go with you in each step, showing you what to do, and helping you do it.
So often, we refuse the gentle way, for one reason or another. We fight with Him, even though we want what He is leading us into.
What is the problem? We do not understand that the Lord must lead us(or we will surely go the wrong way). But how will He lead us?
Psalm 32:9 “Be 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 (or trample thee).”
The “something” which hinders, is our unbroken will. Like the horse, or mule; we must be broken or mastered, to be usable.
It is the method of the breaking which is spoken of here.
He wants us to yield to Him, which is what we do when we “look to Him”
(Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”)
For the look of faith and trust in Christ Jesus our Lord, is yielding.
If we are looking to Him, we are looking away from other things. Choosing Him.
And when we look?
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,”
We need this mighty power in our everyday walk; instructing us and teaching us in the way we must go.
I want that gentle instruction of His eye.
How do you want to be guided?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 