There is a verse in the old testament--I think in Proverbs --that speaks about the difference between a horse who is easy to guide with a bit in his mouth and the horse with the same bit who chomps at it and rears his head right and left and the rider has to pull the bit harder and harder to get the horse to go the way he wants him to.
The picture here is that God is the rider and we are the horses and the things that come into our lives are the bits. At least this is how I take it. When we are compliant with the Master, he only has to barely move the rein against our neck (it is so easy that the feeling never even makes it to the mouth and the metal bit) and we turn and go the direction he wants us to go. The more we want our own way, the harder the Master has to JERK the reins to get us to turn in the direction He wants us to go.
Years ago, I TRIED to incorporate a compliant spirit with God into my daily life so that He wouldn't have to jerk so hard. I don't like to hurt. I have failed many, many times but my heart's desire is to accept with grace and trust all the things that come into my life KNOWING the master will work all for my good and His glory.
The goads were used to move the oxen forward but too often they didn't want to go forward and ended up kicking against the goads only to their detriment, sometimes sustaining injury. When we ask God each day to draw us closer to Him, I don't think we need to worry about where the goads are coming from, only trusting that, good or bad, God will ultimately use them to produce something beautiful in our lives.
Madame Jean Guyon, a martyr in the 16th century, says in her book, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, that when we get to a mature level with God, we won't even notice the difference between the good and the bad that comes to us-- we will just trust Him so much and live to love Him and give Him glory. Wouldn't that be a wonderful state to get to?
What do you think it means "to kick against the goads"??????? How would you define a goad????? Are they always from God....or does satan sneak in with his own 'goads'????
