The previous post reminds me of a conversation with a friend a few days ago. An avid equestrian, she'd been reading recently about training horses. One of the author's points was that a horse's bearing is in direct correlation to their self confidence. She told me that her horse often balks when crossing a stream, and she'd always heard that the best way to deal with this sort of thing was to push the horse through without giving him time to think about his fear. But, after being exposed to this trainer's insights, she decided to change her approach. When she got to the stream, she allowed her horse to stand there, acknowledging with him that he was uncomfortable. (Horses are very sensitive and can pick up their rider's feelings). She did not force him through, but neither did she allow him to turn away from his fears. Instead, she gently pulled him back to the stream. "You can do this", she said. And eventually they made it across together.
Isaiah 43:2 says "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;the flames will not set you ablaze."
There are times in our lives that we come to obstacles that seem insurmountable. Perhaps there is legitimate danger in front of us, perhaps we are facing irrational fears. Maybe we've been shamed in the past or traumatized. Maybe we are just timid. In any case, the Lord is committed to getting us across and He does this with kindness. He has created us and called us by name. She knows who She has made us to be. It is true that we are on a journey, but one of the goals of the quest is our own maturity. God wants us to be secure in our ability to go through any situation with the power that comes from His Spirit. "You can do this," God firmly says, "I am with you. I can see the path ahead. You do not have to be afraid."
Isaiah 43:2 says "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;the flames will not set you ablaze."
There are times in our lives that we come to obstacles that seem insurmountable. Perhaps there is legitimate danger in front of us, perhaps we are facing irrational fears. Maybe we've been shamed in the past or traumatized. Maybe we are just timid. In any case, the Lord is committed to getting us across and He does this with kindness. He has created us and called us by name. She knows who She has made us to be. It is true that we are on a journey, but one of the goals of the quest is our own maturity. God wants us to be secure in our ability to go through any situation with the power that comes from His Spirit. "You can do this," God firmly says, "I am with you. I can see the path ahead. You do not have to be afraid."
