Wild Horses: Tame Your Emotions

Scripture: Matthew 21:12-13

In Matthew 21, we have a recorded fact that tells us about a time when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became angry. In colorful detail, Matthew regales us with the account of what happens when the zeal of the Lord breaks forth in righteous indignation. Cut to Jerusalem, and the scene is the Second Temple. However, instead of a house of worship, we find a marketplace. 

In this text, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is angry. He walks into the Second Temple in the center of Jerusalem and goes into a state of rage. Why? Did He sin? Or was His anger righteous and justified? You can be angry and not sin. You can be filled with righteous zeal and indignation and passion and give no cause for sin to overtake you. Jesus showed us how. 

Living a righteous life doesn’t mean you get along with everyone you meet. One day, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. But His message was not all about feeling good. 

He said, “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:33–34, NASB). He called the congregation gathered there that day a generation of vipers and hypocrites, snakes and fakes. 

It’s both a comfort and a challenge to consider that Jesus didn’t get along with everybody. It’s a comfort because we can’t get along with everybody either. It’s a challenge because it makes us think about the divine nature of Christ, and we come face-to-face with the fact that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. 

What is His divine nature, really? When Jesus entered the temple that day, to Him, it was the house of God. The zeal of the Lord consumed Him because He knew it was to be a house of prayer. 

What is the issue that you have made the cause of your life? Does zeal for the house of the Lord consume you? Or have you let the pleasures of life and the desire for other things sway your emotions and seduce you into the trappings of the world?

Scripture: Ephesians 4:26-27

Imagine a devout Jewish man from Galilee. He has carefully selected the best lamb he has. He then prepares his bag, makes his plans, and begins to travel to Jerusalem with his animal sacrifice. The distance from Galilee to Jerusalem is about 80 miles, so to travel by foot while driving his animal, it takes him three or four days to make the one-way journey. 

Finally, he arrives in the city. He and his animal squeeze through Jaffa Gate, and he finds himself in an unfamiliar environment while buskers loudly call out to him to come into their shops. He winds through the narrow maze of streets in the walled city and makes his way to the temple. 

The outer court of the temple had become a dirty, smelly, noisy marketplace. The deafening den of sellers hocking their wares, the bargaining of money changers, and the bellowing of the oxen were drowning out the voices of the religious racketeers. 

And when the devout traveler finally gets to the front of the crowd, he offers his animal to the high priest for inspection. The high priest barely looks at the lamb and quickly dismisses the animal, saying, “Unclean.” 

What must he do? He has no choice but to give up his animal and put it in a pen while another priest pulls out another one and sells it to him for an exorbitant price. This new lamb he must now buy with what is left of his money and offer to the high priest as his offering. 

This “new” lamb is accepted. What happened to the lamb he brought? It is sold to a different pilgrim! But the ploy didn’t stop with the priests. The money changers were involved as well. 

The people of God were being extorted, and Jesus was angry. The Avenger of God stormed through the swirl, driving out the cattle and releasing the doves, the sheep, and the goats. In the madness of the marketplace, Jesus of Nazareth stormed. 

Jesus fought against the false values that had been brought in by religion, tradition, and greed. What was His response? He said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’” (Matthew 21:13, NKJV).

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

When it comes to controlling anger, there is no greater example than Jesus. He lived a perfect life, never sinning once, but He was no pushover when it came to matters of injustice, love, or zeal for God. 

On behalf of others, He was the Lion. When it came to Himself, He became obedient to death, even the death on the Cross. He was, is, and will be the answer to any anger that has taken up residence in your heart. 

Look to God constantly. In Him, you may be conformed to the image of His Son. In Him, you will find what it means to live a life that is marked by Heaven on earth. Sanctification is a continual recalibration of the heart. It is a heart that knows that the answer to overcoming anger is found in the One who formed you and knit you together in your mother’s womb. 

Jesus is the answer to your life, and in Him, you will find all that you need. He is our model and standard. He cleansed the temple, filled with zeal for the house of the Lord. Yet, when He was personally attacked, He did not retaliate. 

In the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, He was betrayed, arrested, and led away as a prisoner. He would be beaten, ridiculed, and mocked with a crown of thorns on His head and a robe on His back. When accusations railed against Him, He answered not a word (Matthew 27:14). 

Though led like a lamb, He opened not His mouth. That’s control. Long suffering is the opposite of anger. But you cannot do it in your own strength. It is a daily process of dying to yourself and drinking the living water of the Word of God. 

How do we control our anger? By becoming Spirit-filled. The answer to overcoming anger is not found through worldly self-help books or by looking for answers within. 

The power to overcome anger is only found when you submit to the Lord and Savior of your soul, Jesus Christ. Only in Him and through the power of the Holy Spirit will you be able to control the wild horse of anger and live a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

We all have them. “Wild horse” emotions that, if unbridled, can run roughshod through our souls, lives, and relationships. They can even destroy us. Yet these same wild horse emotions, if brought under control, can carry us to new levels of success. 

Emotions are powerful. They can fill our minds and shape our thoughts. That’s why it is absolutely vital for the believer not to be controlled by emotions. 

You may be one who is given over to worry. Maybe your earliest memories of your parents are seeing them worry and fret around the house. Now you’re a professional worrier, and you came by it honestly. 

Do you worry more than you should? Worry is a common denominator. The rich worry. The poor worry. The intelligent and illiterate worry. 

God is well-versed in the human condition. Psalm 139 tells us that He formed our inward parts and covered us in our mother’s womb. He calls us fearfully and wonderfully made, and all the days ordained for us were written in His book. He knows where we came from, what we’re doing, and the inner workings of our hearts. 

But what does the Bible say about worry? Be anxious for nothing. Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere. Worry not only brings stagnation to your life, it can cause you to slip backwards — pushing you farther away from where you hope to be. 

I want you to focus on those four words — be anxious for nothing — because they will help your marriage, your health, your future, and your soul. For the child of God, peace is your portion, and worry has no place in your life. Your citizenship is in Heaven, and no one is pacing back and forth on those streets of gold worrying about all the things God has already taken care of. 

If you want to find one of the surest and most clear paths to mental peace and, therefore, peace that overshadows your life, you would do well to often quote the words of that verse: Be anxious for nothing. 

Those are words you need to internalize. Write them on a card, tape them to your refrigerator, say them out loud throughout the day. If you can fully absorb those four words, it will change your life and even change your family tree.

Scripture: Psalms 27:1

You can learn to get rid of the things you are afraid of or worried about. It’s true! Just because a certain worry has hounded you for years doesn’t mean it has permission to stay with you. 

At Calvary, Jesus conquered all. The One who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, is the One who took the keys of Hades and made death and the grave bow before Him. Now He is highly exalted and has the name which is above every other name (Philippians 2:9). Fear must fall. Worry must bow. 

As for you, whom or what on earth is left for you to fear? Psalm 27:1 says to not fear. With Him, you have all you need. He is your Light, your Salvation, your Stronghold. 

Though the trials of life may come, you are not alone. For the believer, the Lord is always by your side, and you have peace with God. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (NIV). 

Don’t worry about your past failure. Give no thought to your past sins or mistakes. God’s grace is greater than all your sin. Yes, we have all sinned, but the story doesn’t end there. The Cross stands at the crux of history, proclaiming forevermore that Jesus has indeed accomplished all that was necessary to make the way for us to come to God. 

There’s nothing like walking down the road of life knowing that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will ever guard your heart and mind. 

It makes no difference what may come today or tomorrow because, if you have pledged your allegiance to the Lamb of God for the salvation of your soul, then in the end, it’s going to be all right. 

Let worry fall by the wayside, for angels go before you to escort you, and angels go behind you. Demons tremble when you pray in Jesus’ name. Nothing is impossible unto you. You are a child of the King. Think like it, talk like it, and act like it. Now nothing can defeat you because you have “become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV), and as for you, your feet are on the Solid Rock.

Scripture: Psalms 91:1-2

If you open your Bible to about the middle, you will find a psalm that can alleviate your worries and strengthen your soul. It is packed full of promises, encouragement, and hope. It is Psalm 91. 

It begins with a call to abide in God. Herein lies the foundation to peace in life — resting, dwelling, and staying as close to God as you possibly can. 

To those who plant themselves close to God, the promises and assurances roll in like an unstoppable storm. “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” (vv. 3–4, NIV). 

Disaster will not overtake you. Tragedy will not be your lot, for: “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked” (vv. 7–8, NIV). 

All that you need is found in God. “If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent” (vv. 9–10, NIV). 

Let hope rise in your soul. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (vv. 14–16, NIV). 

You can call on God, and He will answer you. You have a Shepherd-King who loves you, has promised to be with you, and has a good plan for your life. All that is left for you is to draw near. 

Believe in God’s Word. Do not just keep it by your bedside or skim over it in the morning. It is life to your soul, it is breath to your spirit, and it is nourishment to your being. 

Apply Psalm 91 to your worry like a healing balm for your pain. Overlay the verses against your concerns and fears. Your mind is your own. Fill it with truth and that which is noble, praiseworthy, and right.

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10

From Genesis to Revelation, and from Abraham to John on the Isle of Patmos, we hear the command from Heaven ringing out over and again: “Fear not!” 

That command was given to Abraham, Moses, and Israel. It was given to David, Daniel, and the city of Jerusalem. The exhortation to not fear was given to the disciples as they were on the Sea of Galilee, to Mary when Gabriel told her she would expect a child, and to the crowds who gathered to hear Jesus. 

God has told us not to fear. When God is with you, you cannot be defeated. He is your source of strength, and He has promised to strengthen you. He will strengthen you to do the work He has called you to do. 

You do not have to fear because God has said, “I will help you.” He is your help in the little and in the large, in the mundane and in the magnitude. 

God told Moses to lead an entire nation to the Promised Land of Israel. But God did not leave him to it on his own. He parted the Red Sea, He supplied Manna from Heaven, and He Himself was a “pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light” (Exodus 13:21, NIV). 

Do you need to be upheld today? Do you need a shoulder to lean upon? Rest in the unfailing promise of a faithful God: “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”There is a reason why God has called Himself our Heavenly Father. He is always right by your side. He will uphold you. He will bear you up. With His strong hand, He will carry you through. 

Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear is a foreign entity that may work against you or that may come alongside you at times, but it is not who you are. God instead, has given you a spirit of power, of love, and of a mind that is sound. 

Life can seem like mission impossible until God shows up saying, “I will help you.” Appropriate the Word of God for your life. Are you going through the most difficult moment of your life? I want you to make this confession today: “The Lord will help me!”

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

If you’re looking for a surefire blueprint on how you can conquer fear, you will find it in a 5-letter word spelled F-A-I-T-H. Faith can conquer fear because faith is fear’s opposite. 

Faith can move mountains, conquer kingdoms, and gain what was promised (Hebrews 11:33). You can approach your day in faith, or you can be conquered by fear. You will either conquer fear or fear will conquer you. The presence of faith in your life is imperative: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”(Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). 

Faith can bring you to victory. It has the power to overcome the world. Faith can look at the darkest cloud and say rain is on the way. Faith starts out in assurance of the outcome because faith is confident in God’s ability to bring His word to pass. 

By faith, Noah prepared the ark and saved his household, and Abraham left his homeland and received his inheritance from God. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob, Jacob blessed his sons, and Joseph made mention of the exodus of Israel from bondage in Egypt. 

Faith drove Moses to declare to Pharaoh, “Let my people go” (Exodus 7:16, NIV). The walls of Jericho fell, and Joshua’s armies conquered the Promised Land of Israel. 

Faith drove David to face Goliath while an entire army cowered before him. David said, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45, ESV). 

He wound up his slingshot and dropped the opposition in the name of God. By faith you can accomplish great feats in the name of the Lord. 

Faith has shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and made a way of escape from the edge of the sword. Faith has turned weakness to strength, granted power in battle, and routed armies (Hebrews 11:33–34). By faith, you can conquer fear and accomplish the impossible. 

The call is clear: Fear not! Rather, have faith in God! Faith can turn your desert into a spring of water, calm your troubled sea, and move mountains of impossibility.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31

Fear was not God’s original plan for humankind. It entered man’s soul in the garden of Eden as a product of sin. Adam talked with God as a child speaks with his father. But when Adam sinned, “The LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9, KJV). Fear entered the world. 

God knew fear had already attacked Adam and Eve’s emotions. He knew their disobedience had begun working death in them. Fear will destroy you. It will attack your mind and your body and bring up your past. It will fill you with shame. 

The spirit of fear continues in men because sin continues to rule their lives. Fear comes into the heart by sin. It is then sustained by repeated sin. It invades the soul, continually causing the person to return to their sin so that it might continue to live. Sin keeps you coming back for more because every time you do, its power grows in your life. 

Fear will relentlessly attack your mind and say, “You’re too exhausted to endure. You’re too weak to win. Just give up.” Fear speaks in lies. You must shout back in faith, “No! I am more than a conqueror through Christ, and nothing is impossible with God!” 

You gain the strength to fight fear by continually returning to find refuge under the wings of the Lord. If you are fighting fear like a lone ranger, eventually you will fall. But if you wait upon the Lord and call upon God, you will renew your strength. In Him you will find victory over fear’s attack. 

Fear will bring up your past and accuse you. But that is contrary to the Word of God. Faith shouts back, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20, NKJV). God’s grace is greater than all your sin. You may have been a professional sinner, but the grace of God is greater. 

You may have even committed murder. Did you know David killed Uriah the Hittite, Moses killed the Egyptian who was beating the Israelite slave, and Paul consented to the death of Stephen? 

They’re all in Heaven because they repented. God’s grace is greater than any sin. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve gone, you can always repent and turn once again to God. God’s grace is greater still.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:27

Discipline: You know the word, but you need to spend time thinking about what it means because it is demanded of the believer. The more disciplined you are, the better your life will be. Discipline can save your life. 

Can you say no to yourself and do the things you need to do, even when you don’t feel like it? Can you harness your passions and give yourself to fasting? Are you in control of yourself, or do the trappings of the world determine your every decision? 

You’d better find a way to bring discipline and self-control into your life because without them, you won’t keep the good things you do have, and you are on a path to poverty, destruction, and the grave. 

Proverbs 16:32 says, “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city” (NASB). Learn to rule your spirit and harness self-control. 

Christianity is both a discipline and a doctrine. It is something you believe and something you do. Believing that God exists is not enough to fulfill the requirements of maturing in your walk with the Lord. 

James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (NASB). They believe in God; they just don’t obey Him. 

Paul taught that salvation comes through faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (NKJV). You are saved by grace. And you are saved through faith. Yet even faith itself is a gift. 

You need to hear the Word, believe the Word, and do the Word. 

Christians are expected to demonstrate discipline in every capacity of their lives. You’re supposed to discipline yourself in your passions, your affections, your thoughts, and your attitudes. You need discipline in your moods, your speech, your conduct, and your habits. There is no subject or area of life where you do not need discipline. 

The first step is reliance on God. What is impossible for man is possible for God. You have the Holy Spirit, who will help guide you into the paths of righteousness. Begin by calling on the Lord in faith believing that He will lead you, guide you, and help you.

Scripture: Proverbs 10:17

Can you control yourself? Do you rule over the passions of your body and soul? In the battle for self-control, the enemy is you. The war of the soul is a civil war that wages on the inside of the heart. You may be successful at making money, building a business, being a great leader of people, or athletic prowess, but if you cannot control yourself, you’re already finished. 

Saint Paul wrote, “Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25, KJV). Temperate is another word for self-control. Ability will help you win a game, but discipline will win a championship. Ability may get you to the top, but discipline will keep you there. The word “temperance” means discipline, and it is temperance that will set you apart. 

Self-control is listed among the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22–23, NKJV). If you would like to live a life that is in line with the principles of God’s Kingdom on earth, study the lists of these nine attributes and make them part of your daily life. 

Not every race is won in the first lap, but the runner who endures throughout the race will lift the victor’s crown. Do you have discipline in your life? Whoever refuses discipline and lives an unruly, disorderly, and reprobate life is a ticking time bomb ready to explode, shattering the lives of those close enough to be impacted by the blast. 

Tradition does not save you. Good works will not open the doors of Heaven for you. Singing “Amazing Grace” on Easter morning does not make you a disciple of Jesus. It’s not what you believe. It’s what you obey. Doing what God has asked you to do is what makes you a disciple. 

Jesus demanded discipline. His followers were called disciples. If you’re not disciplined, you’re not in the fold. I want you to understand that. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’”(John 8:31, NIV). The measure of a true disciple is a man or woman who holds fast to the teachings of Jesus.

Scripture: John 8:31

God has a plan for your life that will bring you joy and increase the work of the Gospel. But to lay hold of it, you will have to live a disciplined, God-focused life. 

God’s plan for you is attainable. A key step is immersing yourself in the study of God’s Word. It must become what your heart is full of so that when life squeezes you, the Word of God is what comes out. 

The level you attain in achieving God’s plan for your life is directly correlated to how submitted you are to the Lordship of Jesus. In Luke 6:46, Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (ESV). 

Obedience is a bigger deal in the Kingdom of God than you may realize. It is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Philippians tells us that Jesus Himself was obedient. He took on the nature of a servant, was made in human likeness, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). 

The Cross will cost you everything. One day, a rich young ruler came up to Jesus and said, “What shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, NASB). Jesus said, “Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (v. 21). But the ruler was more concerned with himself than with the mission of God. 

In the darkest moments of Jesus’ life, He was kneeling in the garden of Gethsemane, praying. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, NIV). 

With the Cross before Him, blood dripping from His brow, and the sins of the world to atone for, He prayed, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” He went to the Cross and became the propitiation of men. 

Through obedience and discipline, Jesus conquered all. What has the Lord called you to do? What has He put on your heart? What is it that you think about year after year? By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, you can take control of your life, live holy and separated from the world, and complete the destiny the Lord has set before you.