in my life and to say I was apprehensive about the experience would be an understatement.
The day came when I was to ride for the first time. I was given a cute little horse named
Misty. As I was settling into the saddle and holding on for dear life, I glanced around and
noticed two boys being helped unto the back of a black giant named King. I quickly learned
that size means little in the animal world.
King was walking through the doorway out to the yard, when my little cute Misty
decided that she wasn't going to wait for his majesty to exit the barn and tried to go
through the barn door at the same time! After a frightful 30 seconds (although it seemed
like 10 minutes) a very agitated Misty shot out the barn door and promptly deposited
me in a pile of manure in the yard!
As I sat in that stinking pile of dung, I watched King majestically walk towards the trail
with the boys on his back laughing at me. As I started to itch, I was taken back to the
camp to get cleaned up. I do have to say however that for the next couple of days I had
very soft skin! But back to the point of my story...I couldn't believe how quickly I went
from being on Misty to being in the dung heap.
How many of us are sitting in the dung heap of this world instead of enjoying the goodness
of the Lord. We can hardly remember falling from the presence of the Lord into the dung
hill of this world, but here we sit! All it takes is for our eyes to stray from the Word to
the World. Once there, we sometimes try to rationalize living in both worlds. We cannot
love and live for the world and the Lord at the same time. You must decide where your
loyalty and service is going to lay.
Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon."
Why would someone who has named the name of Christ, turn their backs on all that
He has to offer, just to wallow in the waste of the world?
Galatians 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the
lust of the flesh."
Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
We need to learn to keep our eyes on Jesus and off the world. What the world has to
offer is like fools gold. It looks enticing, beautiful and worthy of our attention...on the
outside, but inside, it is worthless. Our true treasure lies in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see that the Apostle Paul dealt with this problem in a co-worker.
2 Timothy 4:10a "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."
What a sad statement to have to make about someone; they've forsaken the way of the
Lord for the love of the world. Satan is referred to as the angel of light, so all his
enticements to this world are shrouded in this false light.
2 Corinthians 11:13 - 15 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according
to their works."
There is only one true light. 1 John 1:9 says, "That was the true Light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world." And also in John 8:12 it states, Then spake
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
When your heart is directed to the Lord and you're meditating on His Word, the
enticements and lure of the world and its pleasures will pale in comparison. We have
the "Light of life" already, what else could you possibly want? You cannot serve
God and mammon, so the one that is upmost in your heart and mind is the one that
you will love and serve. How could anyone choose this old world over our precious
Lord?
Psalms 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of
joy: at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love Him."
Where are you sitting today? Are you stinking, sitting the worlds dung heap, or are
you victoriously living for God. Don't let it be said of you as it was of Demas, "For
Demas (or your name?) hath forsaken me (put God's name here), having loved this
present world." Get out of the dung, get cleaned up and start living for the Lord
today...there's no other life worth living!
Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free.
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Living for Jesus who died in my place,
Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
Living for Jesus wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Taking each trial as part of my cross.
Living for Jesus thru earth's little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee;
For Thou, in Thy atonement,
Didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master,
My heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.
Thomas O. Chisholm
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