A COLT STORY: NAVIGATING DISCOURAGEMENT DURING THE HOLIDAYS

The holiday season is a time of year when many singles get depressed. Another year is almost over, along with its hopes and dreams. Another year of singleness! Golden hopes at the beginning of the year, and faith declarations that, “This is my year”, now sound empty and hollow; like a cruel, mocking echo. Another year of longing, hoping, and waiting, is almost over, and you are still single. For ladies, the proverbial “body clock” has ticked for yet another year.

Waiting, that awful word!!! You think, I have waited, and waited, and waited. Another year has passed, and I have nothing to show for it. What is more, it seems like everyone you know is now in a relationship, or getting married. Even more aggravating is the fact that some of your friends and acquaintances are scarcely ever alone. While you have been alone most of the year, they seem to have an endless string of romances! They just got out of a relationship and before you turn around, they are in another one!

“What about me?” You ask? And the devil answers. “What about you? Well, let’s see. You are the one who insists on doing it God’s way. You said NO to pre-marital sex. Well, there you go. And, you could have had that man or woman, but you said No, because s/he was not a Christian and you wanted God’s best. Your decisions are what has got you in this lonely place all by yourself. And God, where is He? How did He reward you for all that faithfulness, well, with more waiting!!!”

LISTEN TO THE COLT (READ LUKE 19: 29- 38):

The colt grew up with bright hopes and dreams. Its destiny was to serve humanity. Hanging out with its friends in colt school, they would daydream about the dignitaries they would carry. The young colt would dream about carrying kings and queens, pulling the royal carriage, and fulfilling its destiny of being a useful, productive colt. But after graduation, all the other colts went off to bigger and better things, and this colt was tied to a post in the village. It thought, “okay, maybe tomorrow, the king and queen would come for me”. Well, it waited, and waited, and waited. It kept saying to itself, “Any day now!” But that day never came. It stood there and watched, as one by one, all its friends left the village, carrying people and property. They were fulfilling their destiny of being useful and productive, while this little colt was stuck, tied to a post, in the village. Over time, desperation sets in. It thinks, “I am going to be tied to this post for the rest of my life!” It breaks out in a cold sweat, as a tangible, throbbing, fear, dread, and panic grips it. It is no longer looking for the king and queen, but just anybody! Anybody to get it out of this horrible, endless wasteland of waiting. But nobody came. The colt wept, and wept, until it had no more tears! Then one day, after it had given up hope, it looked up and saw two men coming towards it. Wonder of all wonders!!! It thought, “Are they coming for me, can it really be true?” Then it quickly looked away, it was too painful to look, to hope. It remembered so many times before, when it thought someone was coming to get it, and it turned out to be a disappointment. But, the footsteps kept getting closer and closer. Finally, the colt couldn’t stand it anymore! It looked up and gasped. It was true!!! The men came straight to the colt and untied it. The colt wondered, “I don’t know these men, I’ve never seen them before. How did they know I was here?” They looked and smelled like fishermen. So, it thought, “Maybe I will be hauling fish to the market. Fish are smelly, but at least someone wants me! Anyway, anything beats being tied to this post.” As the men were about to lead the colt away, its owner bellowed from inside the house, “Why are you untying that colt?”  The two men answered, “The Lord needs it.” The colt thought, “The Lord? Who is the Lord?” The two men led the colt out of the village, and down a dusty path to meet a man. Imagine the colt’s amazement when they stopped, and it saw itself standing before Jesus Christ the son of God! This forgotten little colt carried the son of God through the streets of Jerusalem on His legendary, triumphant entry, as the Messiah!!!

LESSONS FROM THE COLT

1. The colt thought it was forgotten. But that was not the truth. Jesus knew exactly where that little colt was and that it had never been ridden. Jesus sees you. He knows you by name. He knows exactly who you are, where you are, your relationship status, and what you are going through - Psalm 139:1-4.
2. The colt thought that it had a meaningless existence of endless waiting. But the truth is that God had a glorious plan waiting to unfold. Same with you - Jeremiah 29:11.
3. The colt felt unwanted, rejected, and invisible. But the truth is that it was set apart, reserved for the highest and best. It was not forgotten, it was purposefully hidden and set aside as the designated ride for the greatest man to walk the face of the earth. Same with you. God is on the move in your life, and the best is yet to come - Romans 12:1-2.
4. The colt felt tied up and tethered to the post. But the truth is that that awful rope was actually God’s sovereign act of love and grace intended to keep the colt from wandering off, being lured away, or riding off with the wrong person and missing its destiny. Same with you. What you think is a limitation in your life, is God’s loving hand of purpose and destiny - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.
5. That colt felt like a failure, because it had never been ridden. But the truth is that God was reserving that colt for the ride of a lifetime. With just one ride, and one rider, the colt fulfilled its destiny and made history. Centuries later, we are still talking about this colt! God is mightily at work in your life, and will exceed your expectations. Trust Him - Ephesians 3:20.
6. The colt had stood dejectedly by and watched as all its friends rode by, one after the other, leaving the village. Now all the other colts stood by and watched as this little colt carried Jesus, the son of God! What is more, all those people who passed over the colt, and thumbed their nose at it, now laid their cloaks on the ground and the little colt walked on them! God will redeem and restore all that you lost; and make a liar out of those who disdained you -1 Corinthians 2:9.
7. The colt’s timing did not match Jesus’s timing. Jesus delayed according to the colt’s timing, but he was not late. He came just at the right time, and it was worth the wait! God is orchestrating a kingdom connection in your life - right place, right time, right person - Isaiah 55:8-9.
8. The colt thought that “tied to the post, in the village” would be its life story. But God had the pen and was writing a colt story beyond amazing! Don’t listen to the lies of the devil. God is on the way, and you are his next stop - Romans 8:32.

Does this colt remind you of someone you know? Is the colt story, your story? Are you tired of waiting? Do you feel lonely, unwanted, rejected, and forgotten? Do you feel the raw fear and panic that you will be alone for the rest of your life? Do you feel that doing singleness God’s way has not yielded any benefit? Are you feeling the pressure to step outside of God’s will or the boundaries of His word? Let the lessons from the colt encourage you today. God sees you! He is at work in your life and will perfect all that concerns you.

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