A Bit and a Bridle?

It could just be me, but it seemed a bit odd, almost out of place. So I HAD to dig deeper and study it. I just knew there would be something God wanted to show me…

   This morning, as I was studying Psalms 32, I was reminded that I am blessed when my sins are forgiven, and when I acknowledge my sin before God instead of trying to hide it. God’s promise to me when I walk in deliverance of sin is that HE will instruct, teach, and counsel me in the way I should go. I also saw that those who trust God will find Him faithful. The righteous one will be glad, rejoice, shout for joy and be upright of heart.

  Then in the midst of being instructed on the importance of confessing sin, receiving God’s grace and being righteous there is verse 9 and 10a which says “Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked,”

  It could just be me, but it seemed a bit odd, almost out of place. So I HAD to dig deeper and study it. I just knew there would be something God wanted to show me!

   I saw that I am not to be like the horse or the mule. They have no understanding.In order to control them or to get them to obey they need to have a bit and bridle. They must be forced to do what their master (or rider) desires them to do.

  The bit and bridle are designed to put pressure in the area of the head and jaw in order to direct the animal. Sometimes, in the case of a stubborn animal, the master can give it a hard jerk and cause pain. Without the bit and bridle the animal would do what it wished and wouldn’t be compelled to obey his master.

Do you see it? Do you understand? This is so exciting! I love to study God’s word!

The horse and donkey does not have any understanding of what the master wants without the use of a bit and bridle.

What I saw was that I have a choice, I can have the “many sorrows of the wicked” and live by the bit and bridle or I can live according to understanding and wisdom.

What does it mean to live in understanding? There are 3 verse in Psalms 119 that I think will help us.

100 -I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts

104 -From Your precepts I get understanding ; Therefore I hate every false way

130 -The unfolding of Your words gives light ; It gives understanding to the simple

So you see, to be blessed, righteous, upright in my heart, to be glad, rejoice and shout for joy I not only need to acknowledge and confess my sin, I need to KNOW His word and obey it.

I will not be able to live a life of obedience if I do not KNOW my masters will. I will not know my Masters will if I do not dig into and study His written word for myself.