Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker
Once when I was a kid at home and my Dad and I were watching a movie on TV, he said, “The reason I like Westerns is because I like to look at the horses.“ I found myself doing the same thing when I recently watched “The Magnificent Seven.” This great classic starts off with a funeral procession led by two horses pulling the hearse. The horses have blinders on their eyes, so they can only see what’s straight ahead.
Whether you like to think about it or not, you’re on your way to eternity every day. There are many distractions along the journey and we ought to have blinders too. I’m not suggesting you stick your head in the sand like an ostrich, because you need to know what’s going on so you can pray and stand against the evil in the world. But, blinders help you stay focused on what’s important on your trip to eternity.
A blinder is a piece of tack that prevents the horse from seeing to the side. Blinders keep the horse’s eyes focused on what’s ahead, rather than what is at the side or behind. Blinders prevent the horse from becoming distracted and stops him from losing concentration on the direction he is headed. Race horses wear blinders, but trail-riding horses do not. On a trail ride, some horses “see boogers” in the bushes and get spooked. This is when Dad’s advice pays off — I remember him cautioning me to “Never go to sleep ridin’ a horse.“ What he meant was that I needed to pay attention, stay alert, and ride with an expectancy that anything could happen at any time. Be prepared, be sharp, be on the lookout.
The devil would like for you to be “asleep in the saddle.” He’s hoping you don’t know the following scripture: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8,9 NLT). There’s a difference between being scared and being prepared. Your job is to use common sense and wisdom from God’s Word, and use your faith.
Stay focused on keeping the main thing the main thing. Don’t give in to the temptation of following a rabbit trail. If you haven’t already, put on your blinders, because the devil is tossing all the garbage and boogers he can into your path. He hates you. He is not the king of fun; he is the king of stealing, killing, and destroying. Don’t get sidetracked with the cares or nonessentials of life. “But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things….” (Mark 4:19 NLT). Don’t let your guard down that’s protecting your spiritual heart.
It’s imperative that you keep your priorities straight. In Philippians 1:9,10 Paul says: “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.“
The Key: Blinders are not just for horses. Order yours today.