"Grit and Thunder"

They rode with grit and thunder,

They filled your heart with awe,

Their loop could catch the cattle,

And what you really saw,

Was someone workin’ horseback,

That did their job with ease,

But I’ll tell you it ain’t easy,

Don’t let your eye deceive.

‘Cause it’s hours in the saddle,

And days with little sleep,

And a-throwin’ and a-missin’,

Before this skill you keep.

And just like anything you see,

Get good when what you do,

Is practice and keep learning,

And not give up, it’s true.

As a cowboy pastor,

I see some want to quit,

They’re a-shootin’ and a-missin’,

And just can’t seem to hit.

And sometime I think they’re hopin’,

I’ll just quietly say,

You’re just not cut out for this,

And let ‘em go away.

But I can’t ever do it,

Because in the Book we read,

Through Christ we can do all things,

These words we really need.

And, no, it won’t be easy,

But keep on keeping on,

You get better if you practice,

With grace you can’t go wrong.

You’ll ride with grit and thunder,

Your heart will fill with awe,

God will make you fruitful,

More than you ever saw.

“Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing…” (John 15:5, NLT)

Jesus told His disciples that the key to fruitfulness was to “abide” or “stay” or “live” or “remain” in Him. There’s no doubt our relationship with the Lord is His gift to us, and one we can never earn. But security should not lead to passivity. In fact it should be just the opposite. If we truly belong to Jesus, we should make every effort to endure through the trials, accept His pruning or discipline, and keep on going no matter what. He will meet us with the power of His Spirit when we are the weakest, and empower us to produce eternal fruit. He promises that those who bear fruit will be pruned so they will bear more. Those who bear no fruit ultimately do not belong to Him and need to receive His salvation. But those who are saved need to keep on keeping on. When we are most tempted to give up we are most ready to receive God’s power to continue. Keep on.

Lord, help us to proactively stay connected to You so that we may bear eternal fruit, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Keith Batcheller, keithbatchellergallery.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Keith, and God bless you.