No Bit and Bridle For Me! I hope...

Daily Bible Reading Day 247:

Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park-Deb Davis 2014

Psalms and Wisdom
Psalm 32

Pentateuch and History
1 Samuel 21-22

Chronicles and Prophets
Daniel 4

Gospels and Epistles
Luke 2:22-52

Whew!  Somedays it is quite the challenge to fit in work at the office, my daily Bible reading, quilting and writing.  Seems there is also food that needs to be prepared for dinner, a kitchen that needs cleaning, laundry that piles up and threatens to take over the house.  Oh, and did I mention vacuuming?  How do I fit it all in?!

Writing here is an important part of my day, it is when I stop to consider the verses I have read.  It is my time to sit in the quiet and meditate on God's Word.  Usually I do my writing immediately after I finish my time in God's word and in prayer.  Today I have not had the time to sit down with my thoughts until I arrived home from work.  And dinner is not going to fix itself.  (Something with chicken breasts....or maybe a quick standby: weiners and beans-oh my.)

I love this particular Psalm; the 32nd.  Starting with a reminder of how blessed I am to be chosen by God.  My sins are all forgiven- God has given me a clean slate.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.  -Psalm 32:1-2

Psalm 32 encourages me to confess my sins to the Lord.  Of course that means that I have to acknowledge that they do indeed exist in my life; even now after all these years as a professing Christian.  And the good news?  God has forgiven them all- the past, the present, the future-my sin no longer hangs over my head demanding its reward-Jesus has paid the price for my sin.  He went to the cross in my place-oh what wondrous love is this!

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.  -V. 5


Here is a something to note about what the godly do.  They pray.  Remember what we discovered last week when I wrote How to be Effective and Fruitful in Our Christian Walk?  We are supposed to supplement our faith with godliness among other things. 

Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found.  -v.6

The clincher for me this morning I found in the following verses:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.  -Psalm 32:8-9

The Lord is our instructor and counselor and I have a choice about how I respond to Him.  Will I be like that stubborn mule who refuses to move, or attempts to go its own direction?  I know a woman who is able to sit atop her horses without bit and bridle, without even a saddle and those horses do exactly what she tells them too, be it her words or the way she uses her legs to direct them.  I had the opportunity to ride one of her horses.   I was not sure he would listen to me, but he did, in and out of the stream, up and over the hills, through the brush.   I am not sure he would have paid me much attention, novice rider that I am, if she had not been there--but it was a thing of beauty to behold.  How much more pleasant that must be for the horse.  Hopefully it will not take a bit and bridle to keep me near to God!

Grace, Peace, and Mercy,
Deb