A Different Kind of Freedom

Hannah Sterling
Mar 5, 2018
3 min read

Horses quite often are described as a very free or freeing animal. Coming from someone who has worked with horses for a long time I can testify that they are a very free animal to be around. There's nothing like tearing up a huge field at a full speed gallop on the back of a 2,000 pound animal that you can trust. But something most people don't know is that horses are flight animals. They are extremely skilled at speed. To give you a picture of horses and speed , most horses don't run over 30 mph, but there are a couple exceptions. In the 1970's a horse by the name of secretariat was born. Most of you know this name I am assuming. Secretariat's top speed was 49 mph; thats crazy. I will have to just testify that I have never gone 49 mph on a horse. When a horse runs they are searching for freedom from something, or they have a reason to go towards something. But in most all situations they have a goal when they run. When sin is prevalent, whether its in a situation or in our hearts, sometimes we think it'll help if we just run to something, or run away from something. We think that we know best and we are going to find some sense of freedom. But I don't want you to think horses run away from everything constantly; they are also know to be bold and strong and sometimes to run towards things. In Job chapter 39 verses 19-25 God speaks to Job about the horse and it's boldness:

"Do you give the horse his might?

Do you clothe his neck with a mane?

Do you make him leap like the locust?

his majestic snorting is terrifying.

He paws in the valley and exalts in his strengths;

he goes out to meet the weapons.

He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

he does not turn back from the sword.

Upon him rattle the quiver,

the flashing spear, and the javelin.

With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;

he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.

When the trumpet sounds, he says 'aha!'

He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains and the shouting."

God is encouraging Job to be bold. Horses might be flight animals, but God created them strong as well. They have the choice to run to battle or run from battle. We have the same choice.

Quite recently my Mom and I have been reading through 2 Corinthians. When I think about the fact that we are digging in the word together it makes me thankful, but also amused. When I was in high school she would always ask if I had time or wanted to do a study with her or read with her, and I always said no. I'm thankful that I am at a place where I desire to say yes. It was interesting, because before she asked me this time I had already been thinking about it.

2 Corinthians is so rich and full of instruction, encouragement, and so many deep things. I have enjoyed digging deeper into these things on my own with the Lord and then together with my Mom. As Paul writes to the Corinthians out of love I feel as if he is writing to me. As we have been reading and life has been happening, God has really been pulling out my humanity and showing me that I need him. This daily process continues, and a specific verse that has been active in my life is from chapter 3 verse 5:

"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us,

but our sufficiency is from Christ."

A lot of times when we think we are sufficient in ourselves we want to find freedom in that, but we can't. We can't run to ourselves and find anything freeing or good. When we realize that Christ is the one that is sufficient we can run to him and find complete freedom. This is where we find that boldness.

Another verse that has been extremely active in my everyday is 2 Corinthians 3:17:

"Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom."

Through these verses I can know:

1. I can't be sufficient in myself. (and even when I think I am God shows me my need for him)

2. Christ is sufficient.

3. I have the Holy Spirit inside me.

4. When I am struggling with something in my heart the Holy Spirit is in my heart and where the spirit of the Lord is there is FREEDOM. So, I can choose freedom only through God alone.