Have you ever watched as someone climbed up on the back of a mechanical bull? Most are confident that they will be the one who beats the bull. Beating the bull requires the rider to hang on until the clock sounds. That is officially an eight second ride. In the rodeo the official time to beat riding a real live bull is the eight second mark. After that the buzzer will sound and the rider falls off victorious.
But is he really? Of course, he or she has beat the clock. After what probably seemed like eight very long and endless seconds, the rider could then let go and claim victory. But just because they beat the clock does not mean they had beaten the bull.
I’ve seen the videos, and you have too, where an inebriated man or woman in a bar would clumsily mount the back of that mechanical stead, fully confident they would ride it out only to be thrown half a second later.
In life we are all trying to ride the bull. From the days of the first man and first woman, we have confidently climbed the back of this wildest of steads. Wehavetheplan. We know how to get out of this thing alive. We may be determined that, no matter how wild and rocky the ride; regardless what life throws at us along the way, we will hang on. But no one has madeityet. Themanin recorded history who rode the bull of life the longest was a gent by the name of Methuselah. His long life is recorded in 7 short verses in Genesis 5:21-27. It tells us that he rode life’s bull for 969 years before he was thrown off.
That’s nearly ten generations. Nobody has yet to beat his record. But the fact remains that, as impressive as his record is, he still was thrown off.
This world, at best is only around 6000 years old. Ok, when the smarty pants in the back stops laughing let me prove it to you. Weattemptto measure the age of an object with a test that says it is that old. But tests are made to fail. When it comes right down to it, there is only one true eye witness who can actually attest the age of something and that’s because He madethedarnthing. To get a proof positive measure of the age of something there has to be a witness that can say “yes, that rock was here as long as I can remember.” But only one human being can prove a rock was here for 969 years. But that’s as oldasproof gets. So,we build theories upon the backs of other theories to come up with what may sound like a plausible theory. Get it? It’s all based on what someone says who has been thrown off the bull too soon.
On the other hand, nearly everything recorded in the Bible and its 6000 years of history has been proven as true. I’m confident that, given enough time, those few things not yet proven, will be. The track record says so. So, call me a fool or an idiot, I don’t care. I will stick to what has been proven, thank you.
Only Jesus Christ has ridden the bull of life full term. He alone, as God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23) - God with us - He rode the bull of life until it was tamed. He alone trotted the bull to a hitching post, and climbed down from its back on His own terms. He was not thrown but chose to dismount.
He rode the bull of life for us. He beat the time and yes, the bull itself! We will not beat the bull. No one but Jesus ever beat the bull and, I have a news flash for you, no one but Him ever will. There is a length of time and a speed during which you and I will go flying off the bull. But when we come to Christ, only in Him can we actually beat the bull. Oh, we will not beat it alive, unless we are one of those who are alive and remain spoken of by Paul in (1 Thessalonians 4:17). But from what I’ve studied about Bible prophecy, I’m not convinced that is necessarily a good thing.
In Christ, however, we can beat the bull of life. Think about it. Listen to your heart as God speaks within you now. You know it, deep down inside, to be true. So, are you going to go flying through the air, thrown from the back of the bull, or are you going to park it with Jesus? Bully for you!
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit the website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge