Yankee was busily grazing and hadn’t seen me until! called his name. He threw up his head, whirled on his hindquarters and came thundering toward me. It is an intimidating sight when 900 pounds of horse bears down on you at high speed, especially when there is no fence between you. The training books say that the handler always needs to project the persona of Boss Hoss. I try not to step back or show any fear even though I may be inwardly quailing and mentally preparing for the worst. He always slides to a stop within a few feet of me and nudges my arm for an expected treat. I feel a wave of relief that once again I survived and resisted the urge to make a dive under the gate.
It occurs to me, as I watch the time of the end rush toward us, that for much of my life I have felt the same about the coming kingdom — trying to stand firm but afraid inside. As the years go by, however, I find the fear is slowly being replaced with a gladness. The world, in the hands of man, is a cruel and evil place. Suffering, corruption and paganism are becoming the normal way of life for much of the earth’s population. In this age, the good and wholesome parts of life are rapidly disappearing. The daily news is just one horror story after another. All of this is changing my fear of the judgment to a yearning for the kingdom.
There is no solution to mankind’s muddle except through the coming of Christ. Whether or not I may have the wonderful privilege of being in our Father’s kingdom, I long for Christ to come and clean up the world and bring the time when sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
The next time Yankee comes galloping toward me,! may startle him by running toward him and throwing my arms around his neck.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One