THIS IS NOW HISTORY; I WAS GIVEN THE HORSE OF MY BOYHOOD DREAMS FOR 16 YEARS.  SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PALOMINO, YOU WOULD LOOK TWICE AT. SHE DIED AT AGE 21 FROM PERFORATIONS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE.  

KNOWING the True God 

Ask for the right things, and …

by 

Keith Hunt

We come to 1 Kings chapter 3. It is the time that Solomon should reign over Israel. God appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and tells him he can ask for whatever he wills, and it will be given him. Solomon had the choice to ask for WHATEVER .... for fame, for wealth, for long life, for any physical blessings he desired ... for anything! What does Solomon ask for, it is in verse 9: "Give therefore to thy servant an UNDERSTANDING heart to JUDGE thy people, that I may discern between GOOD and BAD: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people." It pleased the Lord that he asked for this and not for long life, riches, and curses on his enemies; but that he had asked for an UNDERSTANDING HEART. God would grant Solomon his request and because he asked for good and righteous wisdom and not for physical gain, God would also grant him many physical blessings, and if he would continue to walk in the Lord's commandments as his father David did, he would also have long life. The nature of God is that if you desire first that which is right and good, that which is wisdom, that which is correct judgment in life, if you will seek first the Kingdom of God, all other earthly things for life will be added unto you, and sometimes that which you have not asked for, that which you have put to one side, to first gain the salvation and Kingdom of God, even that which may be on the back burning in your heart now that the Kingdom of God is on the front burners, sometimes God will grant you even that which you have not specifically asked for. At the age of seven I saw my first Roy Rogers and Trigger movie, it was in color. I well remember sitting there just mesmerized by such a beautiful and majestic horse like Trigger. From that very instant my biggest wish and desire was one day to have a horse like Trigger. At the age of 18 I set out from England to "go West young man" and came to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, to pursue in part my dream of finding and having a horse like Trigger. For 3 years I learnt all I could about horses, breaking them, training them, riding them. I had started on my boyhood dreams and it was wonderful. I had not found my Trigger yet .... but first things first I thought, there's lots of time to find my Trigger. Then the Lord started to reveal to me His word in a way I had never seen it before, many things I had to grapple with, many hours of study, much time at the Public Library, many many hours of searching in the Word. I had to spend much time on my knees asking the Lord to show me what was the good and the right and the righteousness of Him. Much time was spent in meditation. I had to be humble, teachable. I had to FEAR the Word of God above anything else, above any human person, above all personal plans and desires for my life. I came to be willing to put aside all earthly things and ambitions. I came to see that the Kingdom of God had to come first in my life. I was willing to let it come first, all other things were counted as loss, as dung, that I might win Christ Jesus, as the apostle Paul found he had to do. I was willing to give myself un-conditionally to God the Father and Christ. The Lord led me on His path, what He wanted to do with me, over the next decades. I was always provided for, learnt the great trade of Orthopedic Shoemaking and Orthotics, and eventually was given opportunity to use my gift of music, to teach guitar, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar (which I still do to this very day). In the process of time God called me to His ministry at the age of 40, to put His ministry as the front and focal point of my life. I realized then that all that had gone before was just the preparation for the real work He had planned for me. At the age of 60 I was in the small town of Cochrane next to Calgary (Calgary had now become my home and work-place) and it came to my mind, unspoken words, saying to me, "You have given up your love of horses and riding for decades, maybe it is time to renew that sport." I walked into the Western Tack store in Cochrane and asked them where the nearest Horse Riding Ranch was, where I could ride on my own. They informed me about Griffin Valley Ranch and said that was the place I needed to go to. At the age of 60 I was riding horses once more. I became one of the part-time hands at the Ranch to help and care for things and take out trail rides. In 2004 at the age of 62, I was in the position at the Ranch where I could have my own horse, and keep her free of charge for the work I did around there. I had actually been riding a very nice black, part Quarter horse, I had trained him in quick neck- reining. I asked the owner of the Ranch if he would sell him to me. He would not because he thought he wanted him as a barrel racing horse for his young daughter. I then had the thought pop into my mind, "Well you have always wanted your Golden Palomino horse like Trigger, so why not look for it." I was busy for the next 6 months looking for my Trigger, only in female horse form. A large ad was in a horse magazine that this lady had registered Quarter horses for sale. I emailed her and said, "Well, you wouldn't happen to have a Golden Palomino, you know the deep gold color, a mare, young, about 15 hands." I was not expecting to have the answer back that said she DID have such a horse for me. The rest is history as they say! What a beauty she is. Her registered name is "Final Touch" - I call her "Goldie." She was five years old when I bought her, only green broke, but what a horse, smart, intelligent, fast, talented, and a knock-out for looks. All the people and kids tell me all the time, how pretty she is. She is my Trigger!! Put first things first in your life, the first things being seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness, and like Solomon, it is sure a part of the nature of God to also grant you other physical blessings that can add to make this lifetime full of joy and abundance. Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." ...................