Star was the name of my gentle reddish-brown horse. He was very fun to ride. One day in the summer my friend Bill and I went horseback riding. I was on Star and Bill was on Princess, our other horse. We hardly ever used saddles, because I didn’t like to go through the bother of dragging them out from the barn and putting them on the horses. Besides, we thought it was more fun riding bareback like the Native Americans used to do.
Bill and I left the small paddock where we kept the horses, crossed a road and started riding up a hill on the other side of the road. Anyone riding a horse without a saddle soon finds out that there are only two comfortable speeds to go — either a slow walk or a fast gallop. The speed in between is a trot, and it makes you bounce up and down on the horse’s backbone, which soon becomes painful. So Bill and I galloped our horses to the top of the hill.
From the top of the hill we could see our house on the other hill. As we rested, it was fun to look back and see how far we had come. The horses were happy and so were we.
Becoming a Christian by accepting the Lord Jesus as our Savior is a happy experience. We can look back to the cross, knowing He suffered there for our sins and has washed us clean. We can rest on Him to guard us and keep us safe from Satan, our enemy. Satan will never be able to undo what Jesus did on the cross when He suffered for our sins. The Bible never tells us to fear Satan, but we are to watch out for him and his traps. Keeping close to Jesus by reading the Bible, talking to the Lord in prayer and obeying Him are the best ways to guard against Satan.
Soon, we started to gallop our horses around the top of the hill. Suddenly, a big dog came out of the bushes and started running toward us, barking. It frightened Star and he took off down the hill at a full gallop. He was so scared that I couldn’t stop him. All I could do was hang on as tightly as I could. Galloping uphill is one thing, but galloping downhill is something else. It’s dangerous! Whether Star realized the danger suddenly or decided to wait for Princess, I don’t know, but all of a sudden, he skidded to a stop halfway down the hill. Without a saddle to keep me on the horse, I went flying over his head and landed on my back with a thud!
For what seemed like an awfully long time I couldn’t get my breath. The wind had been knocked out of me. Finally, I started breathing again, but I was done with horseback riding for the day. Bill led my horse back home while I rode home in my parents’ car.
Star didn’t know this, but he didn’t need to run away. He was much stronger than that dog. One kick from his powerful hooves would have scared that dog off for a long time. And for those of us who belong to Jesus, we have His strength to count on. He is much stronger than Satan, whom He defeated at the cross. A good Bible verse to remember if Satan tries to get you to sin or to make you afraid is: “Resist [stand firm against] the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:77Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)). Call on the Lord Jesus for strength to do what is right. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:1010Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)). He promises that He will help you: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver [you], and [you will] glorify Me” (Psalm 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15)).
Messages of God’s Love 8/18/2024