Time To Train The Mules

Hello Hump Day readers. You are probably wondering what mules have to do with our lives and what should they be in a devotion?! Well, in Scripture we find a lot about mules and we learn a lot about how they are just like us, stubborn! Below is a life-changing true story…

The 1904–1905 the Welsh revival was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. One hundred thousand people came to Christ in less than a year. It was one of the most dramatic in terms of its effect on the population, and triggered revivals in several other countries as well. The movement kept the churches of Wales filled for many years to come, seats being placed in the aisles in Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Swansea for twenty years or so! It was incredible beyond anyone’s thought.

Meanwhile, the Awakening swept the rest of Britain, Scandinavia, parts of Europe, North America, the mission fields of India and the Orient, Africa and Latin America. And here is something for our history as well—the Welsh revival has been traced as the root of the megachurches in the present era today!

Interesting was the changes that happened in these countries. Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business. Magistrates saw their courts emptied of criminals. And guess what—the miners even had to retrain the mules that worked in the coal mines because many of the animals had been trained to respond to very ugly vulgar commands! But when the men got cleaned up, their language did as well, and the mules had to learn a new vocabulary.

After I read this history I literally laughed out loud-mules, oh goodness our God has quite a laughing nature at times! This story, however, is true and it is us, stubborn, easy to say bad words or bad things about others, etc. We all get caught up in it and it’s getting worse in our society right now.

In Psalm 32:1-2, 9-11 [ERV] which is called “David’s Maskil” we find the words from God that can help us to turn away from our stubbornness and find the joy in living in God’s provision:

“It is a great blessing when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done, when their sins are erased. It is a great blessing when the Lord says they are not guilty, when they don’t try to hide their sins…”  9-11“Don’t be like a stupid horse or mule that will not come to you unless you put a bit in its mouth and pull it with reins. Many pains will come to the wicked, but the Lord’s faithful love will surround those who trust in him. Good people, rejoice and be very happy in the Lord. All you who want to do right, rejoice!”

Perhaps the need to arise and retrain some mules today is needed—and I’m not talking about the animals but for us as well. We find our niches and we tend to stay in them. Like stubborn kids we don’t want to change. But think about the change in what happened in 1904–1905! People stopped their bickering, laid aside their anger and doubts and 100,000 thousand of them came back to the Lord. And it spread to countries all over the world.

So, let the thirsty souls come to Christ. And let the rivers of living water flow again. Let us pray prayers to God asking “O Lord, please release living water upon and through your children. Let us be sources of life and love everywhere we go. Amen.”  Indeed—AMEN!!