Hold Your Horses.

When my favorite blogger of all time decided to call it quits earlier this year (Alyssa Welch from the blog Resolved2Worship—and I think I still mourn like twice a week. Ha! But seriously.), after the initial withdrawal passed, I knew I needed to find something to take its place; something with some meat to it, as opposed to all of those fashion blogs I seem to be the most ravenous consumer of. And while I doubt I will ever really find an equal replacement, I did stumble upon this little beauty:

LifeinGraceBlog.

Not only does Edie, its curator, seem to really love Jesus, she also seems to be

A.      Funny, and
B.      Have really great style.

Both of which are qualities I find particularly endearing.

I think the first post of hers that snagged me was one entitled “Why I am not a feminist,” which—is just the type of thing that I love. And secondly, the style of her house snagged me. Pretty much because every single thing in her home I look at and go, “Yep, that’s just like my house.”

PhotoCred: LifeinGrace blog

PhotoCred: LifeinGrace blog

PhotoCred: LifeinGrace blog

 

Over the top and slightly mismatched and bold and going in a million directions and totally to the nines. They say houses are visual representations of their owners…and I could not agree more. But that is an entirely different story. Of which I could talk to you about for forever.

Ok, I think that was a bunny-trail.
What I am getting at was one day I saw this picture on her blog.

PhotoCred: LifeinGrace blog.

And knew we were soul sisters.

Because this is what a little vignette in my bedroom looks like:

 

Over the top, I told you.
But don’t be alarmed, every single thing in this picture was either gifted to me, thrifted by me, or made…also by me. You don’t need to go crazy to go crazy, you know?!!? Ha.

Bunny trail…again.

When I saw that picture of her mantle, I fell absolutely in love with that “Hold your Horses” sign of hers.

Why?

Because in this season of my life, I definitely feel like if I had horses I would be holding them

right now.

And holding them some more.
And learning the fine art of patience.
And learning it again because apparently I haven’t learned it yet.
Still not yet.
Still holding the hypothetical horses.
You understand.

What am I to do then?

Paint a “Hold Your Horses” sign.
Obviously.

And hang it right next to my bed so that I see it in the morning…and at night….and in the reflection of my mirror opposite it when I am getting ready for the day…and every time I walk into my closet.

 

I thought about putting in very small print below the phrase, “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,” but I didn’t. Because I know it’s implied.

Seriously, though. It’s becoming my mantra. That and “Expect a Miracle.” Which I have permanent- markered onto my dressing table mirror in big scrolling handwriting.

Sometimes I just needed to be reminded, you know? Even if “sometimes” happens to be every day.

 And today was just one of those days where I definitely needed to be reminded.

Since the date is the 4^th, today I read 4s. Psalm 4. Proverbs 4. Luke 4.
How awesome then, on a day when I needed to hear it, I was presented with it.
Luke 4 is the passage where Jesus goes out into the wilderness for 40 days, fasts, and then is tempted by the devil. Really, his temptations follow the pattern of I John 2:15-17, especially verse 16.
“For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

 All temptation that is common to man will fall into one of these three categories: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, or the Pride of Life. No surprise then, that Jesus had placed before him all of them. Therefore, true as the morning, is Hebrews 4:15. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.”

Doesn’t that just blow your mind?
Whatever temptation you are facing, not only is there a way out (I Cor. 10:13), but Jesus has been tempted in that way, too, and therefore knowingly goes before the Father on our behalf.

Thank you, Jesus.

So in Luke 4, this morning the part that caught my attention was the Pride of Life part.
(Luke 4:5-8) “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”’”

Right off the bat I noticed a couple things.

1.       How interesting that the devil says he can give splendor and authority to anyone he wants. It puts a new light on the concept of “celebrity,” doesn’t it? But that’s another topic for another time.

2.       The word “instant” is used. And I live in an “instant gratification” culture. I know all about this. I have electricity, I have immediate hot water, I have immediate air conditioning, I have a microwave, I have a high powered hair-straightener, I have high-speed internet, I have a digital camera. We understand life being instant. I can get in a tiff when things are not. Yet, in that time and place, there wasn’t so much that was instant. BUT, and this is crucial, the temptation was still there for Jesus.

3.       AND, that was the only thing that was tempting. Why do I say that? Because look at what the devil is offering: Splendor and authority. Yeah, those seem like they would be greatly tempting, but, did it ever occur to you that Jesus had already been promised all of that? As in, all authority was going to be his anyway, and splendor to boot (like when he comes again—II Thess. 2:8). Matthew 7:29 it says that he taught “as one who had authority,” and later in 28: 18 of Matthew Jesus says of himself, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…”

So, authority was already going to be his. And splendor, too. The key word phrase there, however, is, “was…going to be.” And the devil knew this.
Which is why he came at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: he was going to offer those things EARLY.

He was playing on the human desire for instant gratification. For things to come RIGHT NOW.

Oh my. That’s totally my temptation: To be early. To try to make things happen sooner rather than later. Like, remember how I want what I want when I want it and I wanted it yesterday? Yeah.

Do you ever find it interesting, though, that Jesus says over and over to people he had healed that they shouldn’t tell anyone because “his time had not yet come”? Jesus knew intrinsically something about timing that I am still trying to figure out, or what I am having to tell myself over and over again.

He, the creator of the universe, was very aware that there is a season for everything (Ecc. 3:1). A time for everything. He makes everything beautiful “IN ITS TIME” (Ecc 3:11).

And Jesus’ time was coming. He knew this. That’s why he could stand against all those schemes and temptations of the devil. Because, IN ITS TIME, all that authority and splendor would be his anyway. He didn’t need to jump the gun, he didn’t need to rush ahead and take a hold of what was rightfully his (for crying out loud!), he didn’t need to get ahead of the Father.

 He….well…he held his horses.

Because in the very depth of his being, he knew that in his economy those who wait on the Lord get renewed strength, and those who seek his kingdom first get everything added to them, and those who are not anxious, fretting about when their ship will arrive, they are the ones who also get everything added to them.

In his world, those who wait, are blessed (Isaiah 30:18).
He was being my example.
He was being my gospel.
He was being my truth.

God’s timing is perfect. It is never late, I am just usually early.

 

So today I learn to hold my horses. Why? Because Jesus did.