"Trained to Trust – The Ride of Faith"
"Letting God Reign by Taking the Reins"
Scripture Focus:
- Psalm 32:8-9 (NASB) –
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will advise you with My eye upon you. Do not be like the horse or like 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."
Introduction
"Good morning, and welcome to Lifeway Creek! What a beautiful day God has given us out here in His creation. As you watch this horse and rider move together, let me ask you something...
Who’s really in charge here?
You see, this horse has the power to run wild. It could buck. It could resist. But instead, it’s moving in unity with the one on its back. And that, friends, is a picture of what it looks like when a life is surrendered to the hand of the Master."
You may be wondering why I chose to use a horse and rider today for demonstration. Because the horse is mentioned 158-170 times in the Bible, depending on what version you are reading, and… a quarter of the mentions are used in a “spiritual teaching” context. In the New Testament only 2 times is the horse mentioned in a real-world context. This means that, in the New Testament, 89% of all mentions are in the context of “spiritual teaching”. All of these “teachings” are in the areas of: Trust, Obedience, Submission, God’s Authority, Pride, and the need for readiness.
For this reason, I urge you all to pay very close attention to what God wants to teach you through this lesson with this horse, Stormy, and Bryce today.
Let’s take a minute to watch closely as to what Bryce and Stormy are doing, which will help us learn more about who God is and what He would like us to glean from all of His creation.
- Sometimes God takes us in circles—not to waste time, but to get our attention.
- Bryce is doing a technique called “round penning”. It appears that Bryce and Stormy are just going in circles; however, it is much deeper than this…
- This exercise is used to focus on respect, connection, and to establish leadership.
- Often used early in a horse’s training or to refocus a horse that’s acting up.
So, how do you go from fightin’ the bit… to followin’ God’s lead?
I am going to give you three steps to do just this today.
[Step 1: Wild but Willing – The Power of Submission]
The horse wasn’t created to sit still. It was created to be powerful. Strong. Independent. Just like us, we weren't created to sit still; we are powerful, strong, and independent.
But power without purpose is chaos. Movement without meaning is just noise.” Some of you might relate to this in another fashion:
- “A tractor stuck in neutral roars loud—but it ain’t plowin’ a thing.”
- “You can burn all the daylight you want, but if you ain’t workin’ with purpose, you’re just stirrin’ the dirt.”
Psalm 32 warns us not to be like the horse or mule that must be forced with bit and bridle. In other words—God wants our obedience to come from relationship, not resistance.
- You can have calloused hands from hard work, a heart full of determination, and the kind of drive that makes others take notice—but if God’s not the One guiding your steps, you’ll find yourself worn out and wondering why you’re still circling the same field.
- Real purpose begins when you let Him take the reins.
Submitting power?
- Don’t mistake submission for weakness.
- A horse that submits to its rider isn’t giving up—it’s gearing up.
- It’s choosing trust over resistance.
- Its power under control.
- And that’s not weakness… that’s wisdom.
- Just like a good horse under a skilled rider, we’re actually at our strongest when we’re most surrendered to our rider, God.
[Step 2: The Training Process – Moving From Rebellion to Relationship]
Every trained horse has a story.
No horse is born obedient. It’s through consistent training that it learns to trust its rider. And that training takes time, patience, and sometimes correction.
Hebrews 12:11 tells us:
‘All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.’
You might be in a training season right now.
- God’s teaching you to yield.
- To trust.
- To move when He moves.
- To stop when He stops.
- Don’t fight the process—it’s shaping you into someone who can carry His purpose.
God gives us His promise of the outcome of this process: “…the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Heb 12:11)”
[Step 3: The Ride of Faith – Trusting God's Direction]
When a horse and rider trust one another deeply, it only takes the slightest touch—a shift in weight, a whisper, a nudge. And the horse responds.
This is also how God communicates with us: a slight touch, a shift, a whisper, a nudge (God Nod). Not only does God communicate with us like this, but this is what God desires us to learn to recognize.
Isaiah 30:21 says:
‘Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.’
God wants to guide you with His whisper. His Spirit. But to hear Him, we must be close—and sensitive to His lead. Please note that the “lead” for a horse is “in front” of the horse and under the control of the rider or the person who is leading the way. In our case, God is our “lead”.
You don’t need God to shout when you’ve learned how to hear His whisper, feel His touch, acknowledge His shift, and recognize His nudge.
When you walk in step with the Spirit, you won’t miss His lead—and you’ll always walk in His peace
“Your ears will hear a word behind you… This is the way, walk in it. (Isa 30:21)”
And when you live like that—led by His Spirit, tuned to His voice; that’s submission. And as7
a result of that submission:
- God promises you won’t miss the path.
- You won’t walk alone.
- You won’t walk in confusion.
- You will walk in peace.
- You walk in purpose.
- The ultimate scenario!
- Who’s more powerful, Bryce or Stormy?
- “On their own, Stormy’s got the strength. She’s the muscle. She’s the fire. But without Bryce, all that power has no purpose.
- And Bryce—he’s got the mind, the plan, the direction—but without Stormy’s strength, the plan doesn’t move.
- But together? Together, they’re unstoppable.
- That’s what it looks like when we submit to the Spirit
- God’s wisdom and our willingness,
- His direction and our strength, working as one.
- That’s the ultimate power.
- Not just being strong. Not just being smart. But being surrendered.”
- Who’s more powerful, Bryce or Stormy?
[Closing Challenge – A Call to the Crowd]
Look at this image one more time: No force. No fear. Just follow.
Are you living like this?
Or are you still resisting the reins?
Today, God may be asking you to surrender the reins of your life. You’ve been trying to steer your own story, but you’ve only ended up tired, lost, or hurt. But in the hands of the Master, your life finds rhythm, purpose, and peace, and power.
Don’t wait for the bit and bridle. Don’t live stubborn. Live surrendered.
Let God reign… by letting Him take the reins."
[Final Scripture and Invitation]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Invitation:
"If you’re ready to stop resisting and start trusting. Then stand and join me; Let’s pray. Let’s lay it all down. Let the Rider take His rightful place in your life today."
