I’m Not Afraid

Confident

I now call this beautiful wild horse Dark One. Doesn’t he look confident and self-assured? I wrote about him in Stand Steadfast. He had lost his family band to Golden Boy. In that post I called him just a “brown stallion.” Although I had prayed for him, he lost his courage in the battle we witnessed two weeks ago. He had run away with Golden Boy running after him. I wrote about the importance of courage in that post.

A week after that, we found Dark One hanging out in the same area. We were happy to see he was not injured. He had his eye on a small band, a roan stallion, a gray mare and her foal. I remembered photographing the mare and her foal months ago, in the spring. She had a different stallion then. Perhaps Dark One was moving on with his life, maybe even thinking of challenging the roan  stallion. We watched them meet and prance around a little, but nothing happened. We also saw Golden Boy nearby, apparently happy with his new family. But after another week passed, we witnessed yet another encounter between Golden Boy and Dark One.

It’s not over until it’s over.

Dark One was hanging around Golden Boy and his family band, that band that once belonged to Dark One. I walked over and prayed for him, that he would have a family and not be alone. Right after my prayer, Dark One walked over with confidence and challenged Golden Boy. Both horses postured with heads high and muscles flexed to face each other.

Suddenly Dark One lunged and struck a blow to Golden Boy on the shoulder. In less than a minute the battle was over. After they arched their necks and pranced around a bit, they parted. Golden Boy did not chase Dark One away this time. Golden Boy walked back to the band. As we stood watching, a young colt from the band came over and humbly bowed his head to Dark One and clacked his teeth, an act of submission. Golden Boy did not intervene! Dark One won this battle, but not the war.

Wild horses are in no hurry most of the time.

Some time passed as we watched Dark One graze near the band Golden Boy still held. Then the lead mare came out of the band and walked toward Dark One. Golden Boy strolled over and stood between her and Dark One. For a moment I wondered if another fight would follow. The mare clearly sent a message to both stallions. There would be another battle. She went back to the band. Dark One looked over at me and we connected. It was that moment I took the shot of Dark One I call Confident. He is no longer afraid.

Did my prayers have an impact?

Why wouldn’t they?

As we were watching another family band nearby, a young colt from that band came over to Dark One, who was standing alone. The colt lowered his head and clacked his teeth in an act of submission. It looked like he was honoring the older horse, showing respect. Dark One is back.

Confidence and courage are partners. Add endurance and victory is assured.

It will take endurance for Dark One to win his war to get back his family. He will win if he continues to fight in confidence with courage.

So will you. Don’t give up. Don’t get comfortable with less than the best that God has for you.

Do not underestimate the importance of being brave. Christ has won the war for us. He has beaten Satan and overcome death, so we no longer need to fear death. We can be courageous with confidence. Just as Dark One has his eyes on his family, to win them back, we must keep our eyes on the hope we have in Jesus for eternal life.

Do not let the pressures of this present life and all your trials prevent you from looking beyond today. Perhaps in the past you failed or lost your courage. Get right with God. Look forward. Stay focused. Run again toward Jesus. Win your race of faith.

Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:1 GNT

To find out more about Jesus check out the following post,  Jesus, the Good Shepherd.