Bible Verse of the Day Wednesday March 27th, 2024

Psalm 32:9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Horses and mules have never been known for their compliant spirit. They may know someone well enough to have no reason to mistrust the one who gives them directions. However, they need help because of their own resolute, stubborn self-will. The horse and the mule will react in various ways, but it all boils down to their wants and not what their master wants them to do. A horse will head for the barn at the first opportunity, and there is nothing anyone can do to deter them. The mule most often expresses their ways by refusing to move. The master can pull, push, whip, or tempt them with apples, but sometimes they will not move. Neither the horse nor the mule will ever head in the human rider's chosen direction; they will always exert their own will. Although they may know their master well enough to trust their directions, they still need help overcoming their self-will and stubbornness. Horses tend to act according to their desires, often heading towards the barn whenever possible, regardless of what their rider wants them to do.

The most significant deterrent to knowing God's plan for our lives is our stubbornness, inflexible purposes, and inclinations. Dealing with stubbornness may be crucial in recognizing and following God's will for our lives. The dilemma we face is how we can overcome this stubbornness that we share with the equines of this world.  

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God —this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

These verses aim to discover God's will for our lives instead of what our pleasure leads us to do. More explicitly, they are about ascertaining and following God's will for our lives instead of our human desires. Paul established the essential criteria for experiential involvement in God's will: "I urge you to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice."