A Horse

A Horse

   Back in the 16th century, Shakespeare wrote a play in which the namesake character, King Richard III, uttered the words, "A horse!  A horse!  My kingdom for a horse!"  At the time the king was scrambling to obtain a horse, his previous horse had been slain in battle, and he apparently believed a replacement horse was necessary to his survival.  As evidenced by the demise of the king's first horse, a horse does not always do the trick for a person.  A horse is merely a horse.

   The photo above was taken in El Paso, Texas a number of years ago.  I'm standing at the base of a majestic statue that soars 36 feet above its base.  It's a Spanish conquistador and his war horse, and I must say, it's quite impressive.  Even so, the real horse (which was a LOT smaller), was only a flesh and blood creature - sort of like the rest of us, and of course, he is no longer on the scene.

   The point is that, as the verse in Psalm 33:17 reminds us:  "A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength, it cannot save."  Furthermore, the previous verse assures us that, "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength." 

   "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped" Psalm 28:7.  Herein lies strength that cannot be touched by either a mighty horse, a warrior king, or a vast army.  The Lord is the source of our deliverance and our salvation.  "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" - and every galloping horse upon it.

  One of my favorite verses is, "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you" Psalm 91:7.  Earlier in that chapter, it says, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  Now that is strength we can count on - always!

   I love the assurance that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13.