By: Deb Kitchenmaster
Language! Don’t you just love language? Do you say coke, pop, or soda? Are they not the “same-only-different” language? Of course, they are. In the same way, sanitize, separate, and saddle up is to dwell, abide, and ride.
Do you realize fear has an odor? It does. This odor comes through the stoma of your largest organ — your skin. Horses are keen to smell. They know when you are afraid from your scent. Do they judge you for this? No, they do not. Does your fear make your horse fear? No, it does not. A horse may mirror your fear but not create fear. The mirroring may increase your fear but is not the source of your fear.
Let’s talk about our physical body. Another name for body is ‘temple.’ Psalm 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.” The words gates and doors here refer to the gates in the Temple (Jerusalem). However, 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is IN you, who you have RECEIVED from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Gates and doors are where entrance takes place. We have gates (some ancient) and doors at five different places in our temple: eye gate, ear gate, nose gate, mouth gate and touch gate. The word gate (Psalm 24) in the Hebrew language means to reason and to calculate. This indicates that there are entrances that lead to every part of your inner man, mind, will, and emotions. Horses have “gaits” also. Their gait is walk, trot, canter, gallop, and lope. And there are gates to stalls, paddocks, and pastures that you use every day in your interaction with your horse. Horses have leads also: right lead and left lead.
What do you think is the polar opposite (magnetic field) of fear? If you said “love,” you would be spot on. These two energies cover the earth. Both are generated by fathers; the Father of TRUTH and the father of LIES. It was important to Jesus before he left this earth after his resurrection (new body) that he let us all know that he will not leave us as orphans (John 14:18). Orphans don’t know who their daddy is. It’s important each of us know our ABBA. Jesus’ finished work on the cross and His bloodshed makes this relationship a reality. Talking about reality, did you know the word ‘glory’ means “God’s viewpoint and opinion which becomes MY reality”? It does.
So here we go! Let’s saddle up this wild mustang and ‘let er rip”! Talk about rip, something got ripped when Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross. Do you know what ripped? The curtain! The curtain (in the temple) between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place ripped from top to bottom! When you said yes to Jesus becoming your sin, and yes to the exchange of His righteousness, the curtain between your spirit and soul ripped so HIS glory could flow. Flow through your open gates and your doors! His viewpoint and opinion, rather than twisted, fear-saturated thoughts, coming into your ear/eye gates through words and pictures.
Our relationship (connection) with our horse comes through love, language, and leadership. We move from performance, obligation, and doing it ‘right,’ to relating, understanding, and unity. Our relationship with the Father of TRUTH comes from the finished work of Jesus on the cross, his bloodshed and resurrection life (dunamis power) which means miracle working power and excellence of soul.
(1 John 4:8) God is love. (1 John 4:18) There is NO fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. ‘Sound mind’ is translated into self-control, and is a fruit of the Spirit in which there is NO law. Can you imagine how a sound mind during this time would look like in your ordinary day? Especially going to the supermarket to pick up a few things, including toilet paper? Just saying.
Dearly Beloved, may you saddle up and ride, enjoying the moment, and speak out Psalm 91 that encourages you to dwell and abide as you ride.
Fear Not,
You’re in good (nail scarred) hands, “NEIGH”-bor
