"Cull"

That pony once was snorty,

And sideways he would go,

And if you were not careful,

He might just lay you low.

And some thought way too broncy,

To fool with him some more,

But then saw something in him,

So didn’t close the door,

On what it was that happened,

Didn’t take that long, you see,

He was waitin’ for the right hand,

To make the horse to be.

And with the time and effort,

A firm but gentle way,

Created this good cow horse,

Standing here today.

He watches those old cattle,

Like his four feet can think,

And when it’s time to do the dance,

He will hardly blink.

And whether it’s to rope one,

Or drag a calf to brand,

Or gatherin’ or sortin’,

You choose it and he can.

To think they almost culled him,

Let him go for cheap,

Just glad they didn’t do it,

With him took faith to leap.

And now he’s on a mission,

A good, ranch usin’ horse,

And worth a lot of money,

But they won’t sell, of course.

You gotta see the story,

As more than on the ranch,

But helping broncy people,

And giving them a chance.

It might be they have suffered,

Lots of bad abuse,

Could be why they’re fearful,

And wondered what’s the use.

But with the right one leading,

They might find their worth,

Trust in Him to help them,

And have a brand new birth.

So ‘fore you throw in the towel,

On one that you would quit,

Make sure before you cull him,

You give more grace, that’s it.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners…” (Romans 5:6, NLT).

“Utterly helpless” is accurate but almost under-stated. Yes, I believe all of the Bible is inspired, including these verses. But gosh, how serious is “utterly helpless”? So serious that the Son of God had to die to heal us. And it was when we were in that state that the ultimate sacrifice was made and the price was paid. This tells us how sick we are and how valuable we are, all at once. We can never devalue those Jesus died to save, including ourselves.

Lord, help us realize the wonder of Your grace in dying for us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.