Littlestone was riding. He was meditating on the way of faith.  He thought the way of faith is like riding a horse.

When we first learn to ride, if we are wise, we learn in a controlled environment, like a corral or paddock.

We learn to mount the horse, how we start the horse and how to stop the horse. Then we learn balance and the different cadence that we can achieve when we are learning to become a one entity with the horse.

We are never thinking where are going and how to get there. We just do the roundi- round thing until we are a one entity – rider and horse.

Then we venture out and have to learn how to navigate the cadences of the horse with where we are going and how we are going to get there….. A walk, a trot or a gallop or a stop forever.

( He smiled as he thought of one horse whose favorite speed was none.)

When we are ready for a trail ride. We map out in our head the way, and how.

We see ourselves walking this trail out. This trail is worked out in our vision or imagination. We see our finish or our return to the barn. We see the weather. We see what may be the obstacles, but we learn that there are always ones unseen that pop up. We are ready to walk this out now….

We call what we do see in the invisible into reality by our faith….. in Whom we have learned about and witnessed. We saddle up and head out by faith.

We have seen the invisible and are ready to live this visibly in the natural…. This is fixed in our head and heart, this is way and we are going to ride this trail.

Then he thought, by faith, the weather is rarely smooth. There will be hiccups to every ride of faith. That is the test or the way to prove our riding skills. Prove the word of God in our hearts to become the word of God abounding now in our lives.

We keep our eyes straight ahead and keep our ears open for any disturbance on either side of us. We keep the horse steady straight.  The horse will always see things that are not there to spook over…. It is imperative to keep our heads and eyes on the promise of the end of the trail.

Forward is always the safe motion because a horse cannot act stupid if she is instructed by our movements to keep going ahead….. No turning to the side or turning back…. That is a no way for any successful trail ride. They may want to screw around and then try to turn to home…..

We cannot go back. This is not good for the horse training or ours.

We cannot ever go back.  If the horse gets away with going back to the barn with rider attached or…… not…. He will try to pull that stunt every time. Our eyes are fixed on Him.

If our eyes are looking at the waves instead of our King…. Or we do not say the Words of faith…. We are heading back to where we started with out completing the course of our King….The course for the overcomer of the world…. We are as He is in this world. That is our objective, our goal, we are as He is in this world.

Keep our eyes on the prize of the high calling of God found in Christ Jesus.

We cannot go back…. There is nothing there in comparison to where we are and where we are going.

In the storms of the trail ride, we lean on how we have been trained through rigorous mini trials.  Nursery school prepares us for kindergarten as that prepares us for elementary school and so on. The skills will be sharpened and strengthened as we move to each level so we may finish the trial ride and receive the prize of His call.

The skills of knowing the horse rider dance is the way into being one entity.

The skills of understanding and wisdom and knowledge of our King is the way of the trail of faith. The strength of Jesus Christ is our strength. The union of communion with time spent on the trail with our God will perfect the end of the trail ride for each of us.

The trials of the trail will come, but how we maneuver our ride, ( faith) to overcome is essential to heed our training with the peace that is pass understanding kicks in. Then we can rest assured He is guiding us through the terrain safely….. Our eyes remain on Him through it all.

We are learning the trail His way and with Him and by Him….This trail is all about learning of Jesus Christ, our King. As they say, all hands on deck…. We say, all eyes on the King.

Confidence in our Instructor is key…. When it looks like He is sleeping, He is watching us…. Will we lean on Him in what we have been learning in our study?  ..…. Will the Word of God become one in us? Will the Word of God be made alive in us? Do we become one with the Word?  Is faith having it’s perfect work in us?  Are we allowing the exceedlingly great power that rose Christ Jesus from the dead to work in us….. Trials on the trail allow for His power to work mightily through and in us.

So we do not buckle but gather the reins of His strength and ride on through. Knowing His path is perfect and is perfecting us to trust Him again and through it all. As we go, He gives us each step and each step, He gives us the land….. Himself- a land of great and wide distances.

There is a lot of trails through His kingdom because He is never ending as His love for each of us.

Just as many hours on the back of horse perfects the best ride, not without challenges, but we then know our horse and the horse knows us and our lead…. We with our King will know His lead to keep straight and do not stop…..Do not turn to the right or the left but our eyes remain on Him.

In fact, as the rides turn into many rides, you do not have to instruct the horse, the horse knows by your body language where to go and by what cadence.  This also will be a wonder but a life in His Spirit, we go where He leads and pray when He reveals a need.

Just as we move in His Spirit, we know the signs of His hand and the cadence He is moving by.

Our God is nonstoppable. Yet, we know when He has approached this world again and again.

He never quits speaking and His word will abide forever…. Wisdom speaks—- Know the One who has instructed that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

We know when the answers to prayers are heard. We know and receive His answers. We love His Word….. We are becoming in union by His communion of His blood and His Word and of His Spirit within and on us.

What characteristics belong to Holy Spirit?

Who dwells in us?

Will the union bring His characteristics alive in us?  They are His but they become us? We are His and He reigns in us…. He is the Word of God. His Word is alive in us. His mystery is working in and through us….

Our faith in Him alone will carry us through every part of our trail ride until we are home.

All will be made known as we are known by Him.

We will see Him as He is and we will look like Him.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 

 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure, (1 John 3 :1-3).

 This is the goal of the end of the trail and it will be worth the trials of the trail.

We will praise His name and lift our hands singing His song. Glory to the Lamb! Glory to the Almighty! Thanks forever for His Spirit, His Promise!!! Praise our God forever and ever for He is worthy!

We are here because of Him and all from Him brought us through His way! His trail of faith is costly, glorious and worth it all!

Galatians 2:20:  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

SELAH!!