What comes to mind when you think of an "Unbridled" horse?. Wild? Untamed? Uncontrolled? Free? That's what I used to think, but the truth is that there are two kinds of "unbridled" horses.
One is wild and uncontrolled and refuses to be bridled and the other no longer requires a bridle. The first horse tries to control it's life by refusing boundaries, rejecting relationship for selfish needs and refusing any limits–even if those limits are there to protect it and give it freedom.

The begining of Unbridled freedom begins in a place where the small still voice of the master can be heard, and the experience of His rest can be found. For those of you who are new to horses, the round pen is where this happens. In the safety of the round pen a trusting relationship between horse and trainer begins. The round pen is the place where loving correction and training take place. It is through the loving correction of the trainer that the horse is set free to be all its was created to be. As the horse learns to trust in the trainer and not in himself, he becomes more self controlled and more powerful, better able to serve the needs of the trainer and others it has been created to serve. Sound familiar? God wants us to trust him in all our ways for He is our good and faithful master and He desires to give us understanding so that we may live the life of freedom and joy He has for us.

roundpenimgJust like the horses I train, in a manner of speaking, we too have been placed in a round pen. As I select a horse and place him in the round pen, God has chosen us and placed us in this world. Just as the horse did not choose to be put in the round pen, we did not choose to be born. Both ourselves and the horse were selected, set apart, to be used for the masters purpose - to be set free from the bondage of our own limited understanding and given the mind of the master. In John 15:5 Jesus lays out the way things work in the round pen. he said " I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

That's the way it works. If the horse knew more than me, he would be the master. These awesome creatures were created to do great things - just as we were. But apart from the loving hand of the master, they can't do much more than eat, poop and run away from everything. As much as I hate to say it, that sound a whole lot like my life apart from Christ. I am truly thankful that God has chosen me to be set apart from the herd. Sometimes though I must admit, it doesn't always seem like much fun in the round pen. But it is what occurs in the round pens of our lives that sets us free to enjoy all that God has for us.

As I have been blessed to be a part of this ministry here at the ranch, God has shown me so many wonderful illustrations of His faithfulness and love for us through the daily experience of life on the ranch. I have been journaling some of the things He has shown me. Click on the Archived stories on the right side of the page to read these blessings He has shown me. I hope they are a blessing to you as much as they have been to me.

In His name, Mark