Have you ever wondered why city horses run wearing blinkers? It’s to keep the horse focused on the path ahead, limiting its field of vision to avoid distractions. Horses without blinkers, as you can imagine, are more likely to be easily distracted, particularly dangerous in a very fast race with hurdles.
It has been said that blinkers were invented by a preacher who made a bet with a friend that he could get his horse to go up the stairs of his house. The horse did this, no problem, the challenge came when attempting to get it to come back down! The preacher realised that if he covered the horse’s eyes it would be less afraid and be able to be led back down. It worked!
Overcoming adversity begins with the mind. When faced with a storm, feeling overwhelmed with something we have no idea how to navigate, we have a choice, we can choose to see it as an opportunity to trust God, prove His reality and grow in faith, or, feel anxious!
“Taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
King Solomon had the same insight, he says in Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT): “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil”.
David, Solomon’s father, did this, defeating Goliath and escaping Saul’s assassination attempt. Joseph did this when wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. These men were no more human than we are. Their response to personal and very real adversity was not to look at their situation but to fix their eyes and thoughts on who they knew God was, who He still is today.
For this reason, Paul strongly advises us in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ”. One of the many promises God has made to us is to rescue us from adversity but this will only happen when we consciously choose to apply His Word to our life.
In Psalm 91:14, “Because he has focused his love on Me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows My name” (ISV). God wants to be your refuge, let Him, it is the safest place I know.
