An Old Warhorse

Today I'm sharing thoughts about warhorses. This analogy first came to mind decades ago. I don't recall now what stirred this to life, but I do know that God was in it and that He used it to speak to me down deep in my soul. Maybe this is mostly for me, but I think it will speak to you, too.

I'm certainly no expert on horses or on warhorses, for that matter, so if my historical accuracy is a little off, please bear with me. It's my story, after all.

Let your imagination run back to a time long ago, back to a time when a battle between armies was mostly up close and personal, hand to hand with sword and spear.

Soldiers on horseback and in chariots ruled those battlefields.

They didn't fight using regular, everyday horses. Their horses weren't for riding to town or working on the farm. They didn't pull the carriages of the wealthy. No, these horses were bred and trained for battle.

Warhorses were valuable. King Solomon had a lot of them (1 Kings 10:26). I can only imagine how fancy his stables must have been.

The warhorses had the best food, the best grooming, the best pastures, the best training, the best exercise yards, the best saddles and armor. Imagine them, young and vigorous, able to run like the wind for miles, amazingly strong and fit with powerful backs, legs and necks.

Now imagine some stables and pastures further off across the field. These pastures were quieter, a bit more sedate. They were the retirement home for the old warhorses. These pastures were nice, but not as nice as the prime spots for the young horses.

I imagine what one of the old warhorses may have looked like. Half an ear chewed off. Nearly blind in one eye. Scars from old wounds scattered across his face and body. He has a gimpy leg or two and a bit of arthritis in his hips. He can't run nearly as fast or as far as he used to. He sleeps more now and takes awhile to work out the kinks when he wakes up.

When it came time for battle, the young warhorses were primed and ready to go, full of excitement, eager for combat. The young warhorses were indispensable, able to use their youth and strength and endurance to great advantage.

Now look again at the old warhorse. He's a grizzled veteran. He'd been young once, but that was long past. He had hard-earned wisdom and know-how. He'd learned things that the young ones hadn't even considered.

He knew the feel of battle. He'd lived through the screams and shouts, the smell of death, the clanging of swords, metal against metal, metal against bone and flesh, and the blowing of trumpets. None of that scared him or surprised him.

He knew how to respond to the slightest movement of his rider. He knew what it was like to press shoulder to shoulder in combat against other horses and riders. He knew what it was like to be struck and cut and bitten and spurred, to push past the point of exhaustion.

The sight of his own blood didn't frighten him. The taste of blood in his mouth didn't make him panic. Loss and separation didn't make him stop or slow down. Thoughts of injury didn't plague him or even cross his mind. He wasn't afraid of his own death. He was an old warhorse, experienced in battle, giving himself to the battle with nothing held back.

When it was time to fight, young soldiers wanted to be on a young warhorse.

But I imagine that at least some of the old soldiers would rather ride an old warhorse into battle, knowing the secret strengths of the old warhorse. In fact, there were times when nothing but an old warhorse would do.

In this story, I think of God's soldiers as warhorses. Think of yourself as if you are God's warhorse. Many of God's battles need young warhorses. But there are some of God's battles that really and truly need an old warhorse.

Our Eternal King puts a lot of time and effort into training some of his young warhorses to be old warhorses. Experienced and wise, they're able to give themselves to the battle with nothing held back. They're not afraid of their own deaths, in nothing terrorized, fighting for the things dear to God's heart.

This is all a picture of our lives, of course.

If you're a young warhorse, give yourself to the training and preparation and spiritual battles that God has for you in this season of your life. Remember that God is preparing you, always preparing you. Your life is about far more than you and your current battles.

Everyone's life includes tough times, some much more than others. Romans 8:28 assures us that the Lord works in tough times to build something good in and for those who love Him. The big question is whether you're going to let Him, whether you're going to grow as a Believer or stay stuck.

It takes more than tough times and battles to become an old warhorse. Along with loads of faith, grace and trust, it takes a big dose of perseverance.

James 1:4, NIV

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Stick with it. Stand strong. Your heavenly Father is slowly, bit by bit, turning you into an old warhorse with all of the special qualities that only an old warhorse has. So let Him.

In Acts 9, the Apostle Paul was still known as Saul. He was the epitome of a young warhorse. But by the time he wrote 2nd Timothy, his last epistle, Paul had long since been transformed into an old warhorse.

The Apostle Peter is often thought of as a brash young warhorse. But by the time he wrote the letter we know as II Peter, he, too, had been transformed into an old warhorse.

Amazing stuff, all of it. 

• You don't have to be old to be an old warhorse.  

• Just because you're old doesn't make you a warhorse. 

• If you are an old warhorse, no matter how things look, God has a special job for you.

As I travel deeper into my old warhorse years, there's something I'm personally focusing on more than before. This applies to all Believers, but I'm especially addressing those who, like me, are no longer young.

In this stage of life, along with whatever else He has for you, give yourself to prayer like never before. Yes, especially in your old warhorse season, give yourself more and more to deep, heartfelt, powerful and effective prayer.

Be led by Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Give yourself to prayer that has an impact. If you do it right and well, it can be your greatest legacy.

James 5:16 (New Living Translation)

...the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

If you really care about your Creator's happiness, He'll reveal what's on His heart. Pray with passion for those things.

Our Creator doesn't need us to motivate Him. It's not our job to twist His arm to get Him to do something. He's already stirred up. It is our job to earnestly pray for His plans, dreams and passions to be fulfilled. After all, His dreams and passions are our reason for being.

Revelation 4:11 (KJV)

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Philippians 2:13 (from the Amplified Bible Classic Edition) tells us even more.

... it is God Who is all the while...at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire] both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

There are many roles in God's kingdom. Young warhorses aren't the best fit for all of them. That's okay, because old warhorses fill special roles in God's story.

If you're one of God's old warhorses, be the best one you can be. He has put a lot of time and effort into getting you there. It hasn't been easy or cheap.

Draw closer to Him through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Let His work bear the fruit it's supposed to in the old warhorse season of your life.