Riding Forth in Tremendous Power

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:13,14)

Too many times, I’ve responded wrong when my authority as a father was challenged by one of our older children. My natural response was to get angry and to demand obedience and respect. Yet, this response will cause a natural reaction on their part of losing respect and, at best, pretending obedience. The opposite approach, when I’ve used it, has yielded much better results. This approach is to calmly try to more fully understand their perspective, pressures and concerns. We may end up still expecting obedience but they should feel like we understand where they are coming from. To not respond naturally, I need a power outside myself.

Anyone who is a follower of Jesus is a warrior in His army. We are to be led by the One who shed His blood for us – the living Word of God. We are to be white and clean with every sin cleansed by His blood, being constantly purified and going into the battle mounted on a white horse. There can be no hidden sin that we carefully keep covered and deny. Hidden sin will eventually bring forth its fruit – weakness and Death. This is not necessarily an early physical death. But, it can often mean death to ministry, death to relationships, and death to faith. Hidden sin will almost always force us into wrong responses.

The image of all Jesus' followers being mounted on white horses speaks of the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. When I respond to circumstances according to what comes naturally, I’ve gotten off the horse and I’m trying to advance in my own strength. This is like using a wet noodle for a sword. I can really mess things up. In contrast, when I pause and pray for God’s way of responding and ask His grace to have the right attitude, I have more of a chance of embracing God’s power and love in my response. His ways are often totally different than my natural response.

If I take time to analyze my natural direction and then consider what the opposite direction is, I often discover a surprising and healing way. Ask God now to remind you the next time you are tempted to immediately react to a situation. Ask Him to remind you to take a few moments to consider the opposite response. Whatever it is, you won’t want to do it. You won’t feel like doing it. But, if you ask for God’s grace and power, you can do it. If you do this, you will be mounted on a white horse and riding forth in the tremendous power of Love.