I have been meditating on one verse for the last week. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31). In my mind I started to think about all the details that are necessary to prepare a horse for a battle, or even a competition. It takes years to prepare a horse, training, exercise, shelter, good food, and of course all the necessary gear.
In our walk with God it is the same thing. Sometimes it takes years of preparation but the final result will always depend on the Lord moving. The victory does not come because of our preparation but without our preparation it is impossible to attain the goals that we are looking for in our relationship with God. Each part of the gear necessary to prepare a horse for a competition may be compared to the Spiritual Disciplines that we must develop in our walk with God. We need to pray, worship, study, meditate, witness, and take care of many other aspects of our lives.
We cannot say that one specific detail is the guarantee of victory, but one little piece of gear that is not in place may bring defeat. We cannot even say that it is by our discipline that we will achieve success because the victory belongs to the Lord. On the other hand without the preparation we can be assured that we will not be ready to attain the victory. Sometimes it is the little things that we neglect that affect the whole picture. Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom (Song of Solomon 2:15).