Daily Devotion Chat

Checking Your Cinch 

Written by Cowboy Evangelist Rev. Joseph Holmes

Produced by H C Cowboy Ministries

Scripture Focus: Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV) — "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

 Good afternoon everyone. I hope that God blesses you all on this beautiful Saturday. Tomorrow we are starting a brand new, month-long journey together called "Trails to Calvary," and I want to make sure we are all ready for the ride. Its already been a long day for me with doing stalls and helping out trimming all the horses feet today, and its still not over but I am taking my lunch time to write this devotion before I head back out to work.

As we all know out on the working ranch, before you ever saddle up a horse for a long cattle drive, or a long days ride, you have to check your cinch. A smart cowboy takes the time to inspect his tack, check the leather on his latigo, and make sure the bridle is in perfect working order. Because if you try to ride out with a frayed cinch, the second that horse makes a hard turn or steps in a hole, your saddle is going to slip, and you are going to end up in the dirt and maybe with a serious injury. Or if your bridle fails you and the headstall breaks or a rein breaks you could be looking at a wreak. I learned that the hard way during my professional riding career. You never trust your life to broken tack.

But as Christians, we do this all the time. We try to ride out into the world, facing heavy trails and spiritual battles, without ever letting the Master inspect our hearts. We carry frayed tack—hidden resentments, secret addictions, unforgiveness, and pride. We think we can hold it all together, but the moment the heavy pressure of the world hits, everything falls apart and we have a massive spiritual wreck.

King David understood this perfectly. That is why he asked the Lord to search his heart. He wanted the Trail Boss to check his cinch before he rode any further. As we prepare to start our journey toward the cross tomorrow, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to point out the weak spots in our lives so He can replace them with His strength, His grace, and His forgiveness.

Now let me say something to all of you out there today who is trying to hold their life together with broken tack. You are carrying the weight of past mistakes, depression, or an addiction that is just about to snap under the pressure. You feel like you are one bad day away from a total wreck. Do not wait for the fall to happen. I invite you to step down and hand the reins to Jesus Christ today. Let Him inspect your heart, forgive your sins, and give you the solid, unbreakable foundation you need to ride out the storms of this life.

Lets Pray,

 Father, we come to You today asking You to search our hearts. Lord, point out the frayed edges and the broken pieces in our lives. Forgive us for the hidden sins, the bad habits, and the pride we try to cover up. Replace our weakness with Your unmatched strength. As we prepare our hearts for tomorrow's journey toward Calvary, wash us clean and make us ready to ride for Your Kingdom. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now I want each one of us to ask our self this one question about our own life. What broken piece of spiritual tack are you trying to hide from the Trail Boss today?

Remember family "You cannot ride a hard trail with a frayed cinch. Let the Master check your tack before you end up in the dirt."