BE ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding; whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.”
I know a little boy who prayed every night for months,
“If it’s Thy will, give me a donkey.” Now I fear the father of this boy scarcely expected it would come, but it did; and not a donkey only, but a saddle and bridle, all trimmed with red, and mounted with brass. There was a whip, too; and everything that could be needed, even to a little stable.
This boy used to have a grand time galloping around the house, and about the garden. But he was only a little boy, and the donkey was very wise, so when he thought he had carried the boy far enough, he would turn and make a bolt for a big, thick hedge and force his way through it, and the poor little boy would be shoved off, and left sitting on the ground on the other side.
The donkey did this because he liked to go his own way, instead of his little master’s way, and, as the habit grew on him, he did not wait very long after the ride started before he would start for the hedge. Then the bit and the bridle had to be used, and there was many a hard pull at the little donkey’s mouth before he would do his master’s will, instead of his own.
You and I are often very much like that donkey, are we not? As the Scripture says,
“We have turned everyone to his own way”, and even after the Lord hath laid on Him our iniquities, how slow we are to learn to go our Master’s way, and to do His will instead of our own!
Then the bit and the bridle have to be called into use, and we can thank our Master for them, even though they make us sore by the pulling, sometimes.
But, dear fellow Christian, what a shame that this should be so! Is this the only way our Master can guide us? No, thank God, there is another way, —He says,
“I will guide thee with Mine eye.”
Sometimes this little boy’s father would take him out riding in the city and when they would come to a cross-road, the boy would need guidance. What did he do? Did he shout to his father, and ask where to go? No, he just turned his eyes towards his father, and without a word from either, the father by his eye would direct his little son. Yes, he guided him by his eye. It was not very difficult. It only took a look.
“Only a look?”
No, more than that, —it took a mind that was willing to go his father’s way instead of his own; and a heart that had perfect confidence in his father’s love and wisdom, as to his path, and as to his safety in it.
May you and I, dear reader, ever be found with our eyes on Christ, “looking off unto Jesus”, for it is sure, He cannot guide us with His eye, if our eye is away from Himself.
ML 03/29/1925