A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Thursday, July
18, 2019
Mules
gathered at a fence in Lancaster County.
"A Lesson From The Bit And Bridle"
Click
on photo for larger view
"A Lesson From The Bit And Bridle"
Message
summary:
The
Psalmist David's
word is still good
for us today: "Don’t
be like some
senseless
horse or
mule."
Listen to our
message on your
audio player.
"Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle" (Psalm 32:9).
A common sight traveling through Lancaster County are mules and horses, which the Amish farmers use for field work. We always enjoy seeing them out in pasture as seen in our lead photo today.
I have watched our friend Jesse as he prepares his mules for teamwork. It's quite a bit of work and the mules can be quite stubborn. Before assembling the mule team he has to put the bit and bridle on each mule.
Mules are the official state animal in my home state of Missouri where they were introduced in the 1820's and quickly became popular with farmers and settlers because of their hardy nature. Mules are known to be rather obstinate as expressed in the phrase "stubborn as a mule".
"Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle" (Psalm 32:9).
A common sight traveling through Lancaster County are mules and horses, which the Amish farmers use for field work. We always enjoy seeing them out in pasture as seen in our lead photo today.
I have watched our friend Jesse as he prepares his mules for teamwork. It's quite a bit of work and the mules can be quite stubborn. Before assembling the mule team he has to put the bit and bridle on each mule.
Mules are the official state animal in my home state of Missouri where they were introduced in the 1820's and quickly became popular with farmers and settlers because of their hardy nature. Mules are known to be rather obstinate as expressed in the phrase "stubborn as a mule".
I
(Brooksyne) had
the pleasure of
riding on a wagon
pulled by mules
with my grandpa a
number of times in
Batson, Arkansas.
He owned 200 acres
and farmed many
acres of potatoes
and green beans. I
still remember one
of his mules named
Rodie and I do
remember at times
Grandpa sure had
to get them into
line with what
they were to do. I
was probably about
12 when he let me
take the reins and
it sure was a
memorable
occasion.
Last Sunday morning our pastor, Beau Eckert, preached from Psalm 32 and showed the slide below when he got to our daily verse. He was contrasting the stubbornness of a mule with sheep who willingly follow their shepherd. Today's text tells us we are not to be like a horse or mule while Psalm 23 implies we are to be like sheep, "The Lord is my shepherd".
"Don’t be
like some
senseless
horse or
mule."
The text uses
both horse and
mule here. A
mule is the
offspring of a
male donkey and
a female horse.
Mules are
reputed to be
more patient,
hardy and
long-lived than
horses.
The
Bible has both
"do's and
"don'ts" and
today we have a
"don't".
Don't
be "senseless"
which is in
contrast to the
attitude we
should have as
we commit our
ways to the
Lord. In the
previous verse
(v.8) the Lord
says, "I
will instruct
you and teach
you in the way
you should go;
I will counsel
you with my
loving eye on
you".
"Whose movement
must be
controlled with
a bit and a
bridle."
This photo shows
an actual bit and
bridle still used
for the mules on
the Old Windmill
Farm. It's used to
control the animal. The bit
fits into the mouth
and the bridle
around the mule's
head. Three thousand
years after David
wrote Psalm 32 the
bit and bridle is
still being used!
And David's word is still good for us today! "Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule."
And David's word is still good for us today! "Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule."
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: Father,
I am richly
blessed because
the Bible tells
me that the eyes
of the Lord are
upon me. I am
not left to fend
for myself or
even to decide
which way to go
for You instruct
me and teach me
in the way I
should go; You
counsel me with
Your loving eye
on me.
To gain Your wisdom
I must give You the
reigns to my mind
and heart so that
You will guide my
thinking and steer
my passion toward
that which is
honoring to You and
is good for me. Then
I will be able to
rejoice in You and
be glad. I will sing
and be upright in
heart and spirit.
Amen.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: Father,
I am richly
blessed because
the Bible tells
me that the eyes
of the Lord are
upon me. I am
not left to fend
for myself or
even to decide
which way to go
for You instruct
me and teach me
in the way I
should go; You
counsel me with
Your loving eye
on me.
To gain Your wisdom
I must give You the
reigns to my mind
and heart so that
You will guide my
thinking and steer
my passion toward
that which is
honoring to You and
is good for me. Then
I will be able to
rejoice in You and
be glad. I will sing
and be upright in
heart and spirit.
Amen.Selected
texts from Psalm 32
Today
we will share
some of our
mule photos
This
was one of the
earliest
photos we
posted on
Daily
Encouragement
back in 2007
The mule team making hay
(Photo by Jesse Lapp, click to enlarge)
This mule team has just completed a hard day of field work on a farm here in Lancaster County and are now being returned to their stall in the barn. I went in the barn a few minutes after this photo was taken and they were sure enjoying their meal and water!
Tuesday morning we stopped by Audrey's on our way to Knoebel's Amusement Park where I have the opportunity each week to share a brief devotional with the employees. Audrey's is a wholesale distributor of gift and home decor items and is located in a very scenic part of rural Lebanon County.
Yesterday
it was a joy
to share
breakfast and
fellowship
with Joel and
Adrienne
Charest along
with their
three children
at the Casey
Jones
Restaurant.
They were in
charge of our
children's
church in
Taunton, MA
while
attending
Bible college
and are now
missionaries
to Mozambique.
We enjoyed
many Sunday
fellowships
with them over
dinner in the
parsonage.
Here's their website.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
Listen here
to the portion of last
Sunday's sermon where Pastor
Eckert refers to Psalm 32:9
and the stubbornness of the
mule.
"Broken
Vessels/The Passion"
Video
Concluding portion of our
service last Sunday at
Calvary Church.
Finally today:
Yesterday we shared a photo
of a very mangled dead bolt
to our back door we
discovered after returning
from Knoebel's Park Tuesday
evening. We are pretty
certain it was Mollie (our
border collie), who is
absolutely terrified at an
approaching storm and jumps
on the door trying to get
in. Surely chewing on the
metal is hard on her teeth!
Speaking of teeth,
anyone want to submit a
caption for this photo?
I think he's
saying, "How many times do I
need to tell you that I need
to see a dentist?"
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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