Clean Tack for the Long Ride
Written by Cowboy Evangelist Rev. Joseph Holmes
Produced by H C Cowboy Ministries
Scripture Focus: Psalm 51:10 (KJV) — "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
Good morning everyone. Its Wednesday that means we made it half way through the week, folks. We are at the halfway point of the week—we are sitting right in the middle of the saddle today. Before we start lets be sure to give thanks to the Lord for the day he has made.
Now, on the church calendar, today is a special day called Ash Wednesday. It kicks off the 40 days leading up to Easter, a season called Lent. A lot of folks think that just means giving up chocolate or soda. But for the Cowboy Christian, I want us to look at it a little differently. I want us to look at it as "Spring Cleaning for the Tack Room."
You see, winter is hard on our tack. Mud, snow, and neglect can make good leather turn hard and brittle. If you don't take the time to strip that saddle down, scrub the mold off, and oil it up, that leather is going to rot. And sure enough, the day you rope something heavy, that dry cinch or that cracked rein is going to snap. And you’re going to have a wreck.
Our hearts are the same way. Over the last year, maybe some "mold" has started to grow on your spirit. Maybe a little bitterness has set in like rust. Maybe you’ve let a bad habit—like anger, or a wandering eye, or skipping your prayer time—make your spirit brittle. You might look fine on the outside, but if the pressure hits today, are you going to hold together, or are you going to snap?
For the next 40 days, I am issuing a "Clean Tack Challenge." I want you to find that one spot in your life that is dirty or weak. Don't try to fix everything at once. Just pick that one thing—that one grudge, that one addiction, that one fear—and scrub it out. Apply the "Saddle Soap" of the Holy Spirit and the "Oil" of the Word.
Get your gear ready, because Easter is coming, and the Master has a ride for you to make. You can’t ride for the King with rotten leather.
You see I believe that there is a cowboy today who knows his "cinch" is about to break. You’ve been riding on a dry, cracked spirit for too long, and you are scared that one more hard pull is going to ruin you. I invite you to bring that old, worn-out heart to the Lord this morning. He doesn’t want to throw you away; He wants to renew you. He is the Master Saddlemaker, and He can restore what the winter has ruined.
Let’s Pray,
Father, we come to You on this Wednesday and the start of Lent, Lord we ask for open hearts. Lord, inspect our gear. Show us the places where the rot has set in. Forgive us for letting our prayer life get dry and our patience get brittle. For the next 40 days, help us to scrub the sin out of the corners of our lives. Oil us with Your Holy Spirit so that when the storms come, we don't break. Make us strong, supple, and ready to be used. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Let me ask you all something. What is the one "rotten spot" in your life that you need to scrub out and oil before Easter gets here?
Remember everyone "You wouldn't trust your life to a rotten cinch, so why trust your soul to a dirty heart? Clean your tack and ride with confidence."
