Get Back on the Horse

One of my favourite Scriptures is Proverbs 24:16 "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again but the wicked are brought down by calamity". The NLT says, "They may trip seven times, but each time they will rise again. But one calamity is enough to lay the wicked low." It speaks of victory and tenacity; hope and perseverance; character amidst adversity. This morning I felt the Lord speak to me very clearly and He said, "Get back on the horse." This reminded me of the above Proverb and I share it with you today.

God always takes our failures and mistakes and teaches us brand new lessons so we might bear fresh fruit for Him. I'm not going to go into detail here (too personal) but I recently 'came off the horse.' I made a bit of a mistake and it knocked my confidence leaving me with a clutch of negative thoughts and an ambivalence about re-engaging with the issue in hand. This simple phrase really captured my attention and I have asked God to activate the truth of His word (Proverbs 24:16) in my life; enabling me to get up and get on!

It has also caused me to re-evaluate the true nature of God's Kingdom love; it has nothing to do with the sickly-sweet, 'God is my Daddy and I have cuddles with Jesus' nonsense that is becoming all too common in some theological circles. As a grown man, I have not had a desire to sit on my Daddy's lap and be cuddled by him for many, many years. No, this is a more mature, substantive understanding that love = discipline (Hebrews 12:5-13). I recognise that God the Father wants to teach us and train us to be more like His Son. This involves listening and learning from God when we make mistakes and getting back on the horse after we fall off. Ultimately, our goal should be to reduce the numbers of falls we have until we are established and accomplished in what God has called us to do.

Have you fallen off a horse that God has given you to ride? Do you need to re-engage with it and get back on there, learning lessons through the revelation of the Holy Spirit which can now be applied through further experience? Listen, once again, to the Bible (Hebrews 12:11), "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Get up and get on with all God wants to teach you!