DANGER IN A PONY-CART
In Java, one afternoon we planned to visit a family with their new baby. Because our car needed repair, we hired a pony-cart. Our excited children accompanied me on my first ride.
As the pony-cart clickety-clacked down the hill, father waved as a signal to the driver. He stopped outside our home and father paid him to take us to the next village.
But as we walked towards the cart, the horse shied and backed away. The driver pulled some fresh green grass, to coax his pony – yet again the pony shuffled and whinnied as though protesting.
The driver apologised.
‘My horse knows you are strangers,’ he said, stroking his horse to calm him. Oh, yes, we were speaking Indonesian, but the horse KNEW that we were strangers, and reacted to us in his horsey way. After a time of patting his horse to quieten him, the driver beckoned us to carefully step into the cart. Would the horse trot without trouble?
Finally, we packed into the cart, and away we went, but not before John shouted in farewell, ‘That’s the pony that shies at all the bridges.’ Not very comforting to hear that. And,, sure enough as we came to the bridge, and part way across, it suddenly stopped, shied, and bumped into the bridge wall, which broke, leaving us 20 feet, ( six metres ) above the river. Because of the danger, we gladly accepted the driver’s help to leave the cart – as he walked the pony to the end of the bridge.
That pony rejected strangers. However, when the driver walked alongside the pony a short distance, he then beckoned us by jutting out his chin, and had us quietly climb in. Taking the reins, he clicked his tongue, the pony moved, and we jogged along to see our friends.
Sheep also will not follow strangers, just as this pony rejected us as strangers.
Think about whom you follow. Following Satan, he will lead us into trouble. He is the father of lies, the adversary ( enemy ), the king of all that is wicked, a tempter, the evil one, and an unclean spirit. His ways are darkness and dangerous.
But the Lord Jesus knows His children and we are safe with Him. He is the Lord of Lords; He is a Lamb; a Light; the Good Shepherd; He is all that is true. His ways are Light.
We cannot serve two masters.
John10:4,5 ‘The Lord Jesus goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow them because they know His voice. But they will never follow a stranger and will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.’
Follow the Saviour, He’s all that is true.
To follow a stranger will never help you.
For Satan is master of all that is bad,
But Jesus is Lord and will make your life glad.
Do you read these stories to your children at bed-time? Tell Gwenda