Sunday, November 3, 2013

11/3/2013

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
CRUSADER’S DEVOTIONAL


Hey howdy hey, Thanks for reading this week and I hope God’s blessings have come your way and that they have not gone unnoticed or received without gratitude.

Have I ever written about a time years ago when a friend and I were out looking for a horse for him to buy? He was a good rider and had knowledge of horses, but he seemed to be attracted to a certain kind of horse. Tall and fast was to his likin’, despite its level of training. Let’s just say horse shopping with him, I saw him hit the dirt more than rain drops in a thunderstorm. I had started to take Aspirin before we headed out to look at any horse and that was just to watch. At one stable we were looking at a tall gelding that was handsome but was lacking in brains. Dangerous to ride, painful to watch and a poor investment of money. Standing off to the side in a shabby little stall with some of the rails taped on and standing up to her pasterns in mud and muck was this nice little mare. I’d say she was about 15.3 hands, nice conformation and a soft eye.

I walked over and introduced myself and she was attentive and interacted like she fully enjoyed the company. I said to my over horsed, under thinking friend, “what about this one?“ He looked at her as if he had just taken a bite of sour rhubarb and said “There’s only four things wrong with her, M.A.R. and E. She is too small and doesn’t look fast enough to get out of her own way.” Well I said, “Doing all this horse shopping you must have hit your head once too often. I bet ya bullets to buttons she rides real nice.”

So we took her out of her stall and cleaned her up some. She was a nice bay with a beautiful blaze and no socks at all. I don’t want to take the long way around the barn but let me just say I’ve received Christmas cards with my friend, his wife and two daughters, and you guessed it, that M.A.R. and E., she has become one of his family. The way he talks about her you’d think she had won the Triple Crown.

Funny sometimes our calling is right in front of us but we are so wrapped up in ourselves we miss it. ‘Course when I say “calling” I’m talking about the calling of God. It is written “Do everything you want to do; take it all in, but remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.” (Eccl 11:9). Maybe you have been blessed enough to receive your calling (I feel most believers have) but either ignored it or froze up in fear of the calling. God has given each of us a special ministry that he wants us to perform to bring glory to his name. “Complete the ministry God has given you.” (2 Tim 4:5)

Two things come to mind. Seems like a lot of folks ask, How do I know what my calling is? “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119: 105). Get to know God intimately through his word and let him guide you in all that you do.

The second thing that comes to mind is fear. Fear is normal but should not keep us from God. We should never respond to a crisis with fear or doubt in mind. Remember on that day at about three o’clock in the morning when Jesus was walking on the stormy waves. The disciples cried out in terror thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid” he said “Take courage! I am here”. Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. (Jn. 48:51)

It is what we all must do. Answer our calling. Be still and take courage, it could be right in front of you and you miss it by having the wrong horse saddled.
I thank God for his grace and many blessings, and pray that we all 

Have the courage and faith to answer his calling.

In the name of your Lord Jesus Christ of the Nazarene.


Cowboy Pastor: Ty
PastorTy@CrusadersEquestrain.org                                                            

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