Back in pioneer days, wild mustangs ran free over much of the West. Some even ran wild on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. One day a group of cowboys decided to capture a herd of mustangs that roamed on a sandy beach on the Oregon coast.
Riding on horseback and swinging their lariats, the cowboys surrounded the herd. Before the leader stallion at the head of the herd could break into a run, one of the cowboys threw a loop of rope over his head. The stallion reared up on his hind legs and fought the rope for a few minutes, but the harder he fought, the more the rope tightened. He soon learned that it was useless to fight.
With the stallion under control, the rest of the herd was ready to follow, all except one. This was a pretty mare, probably just a few years old. She was a roan or reddish-brown color with a patch of white on her forehead. To the cowboys’ eyes, she was a real beauty—built for speed—a horse any of the cowboys would love to have.
The mare ran free of the herd. A few of the cowboys saw her break free and gave chase. Every time they thought they had her cornered, the mare would twist and turn and sprint off again. After several long chases, the cowboys gave up trying to catch her. They tried again on several other days, but they never could catch her. They nicknamed her Windy, because she ran as fast and tirelessly as the winds that blew in off the Pacific Ocean. For thirty-four years, Windy ran free and wild over the sand. In all that time she never let a man catch her but ran as free as the ocean breeze.
A horse running free next to the ocean is a beautiful sight. Do you know that God highly values freedom too? He wants you and every other person to live free. True freedom doesn’t come from running after sin and thinking that all will be fine in the end. Sin steals away our freedom, because when we sin, it is like Satan throwing a lariat around our hearts to gain control of our lives. His purpose is to lead us further and further away from God. The final end of sin isn’t happiness; it is an eternity of sorrow in hell. No, true freedom doesn’t come from running wild after sin. It comes from having your sins forgiven through faith in Christ and then by living uprightly before God. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)).
The Lord Jesus gave His life on the cross as a ransom for sinners, so that we can be set free from the power of sin. What a wonderful thing it is to be forgiven and to know that all your sins are washed away forever. This is true freedom.
A horse like Windy running wild and free may be a beautiful sight, but God delights much more in people of any age who trust, love and obey Him. Psalm 147:10-1110He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 11The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. (Psalm 147:10‑11) reads, “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse ... . The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear [trust] Him, in those that hope in His mercy.”
Won’t you come by faith to the Lord Jesus and know the true freedom from sin that only He can give you?
ML-02/16/2014