Hand Over the Horn

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:6-8
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My husband and I have a friend who is, in his words, an instrument repairman. In actuality he is a very well known and respected brass instrument designer and restoration specialist. Let’s just say that some of the horns Chuck works on cost more than both of our vehicles. Combined. While visiting with him this week, he was telling me about some of the professional musicians who bring their horns to him for repair. He reaches for the horn, they pull it back. He reaches again, and they pull it back. They want to tell him what is wrong with the horn, hoping he can make suggestions and they will not have to actually surrender their instrument. Finally, he tells them to, “Hand over the horn.” He reminds them that he will forget more about that horn than they will ever even know about it and the only way for it to be repaired is for them to give it to him. After they relinquish their instrument he then deals with their pacing and giving advice while they look over his shoulder as he works.
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Sometimes, I am like those worried instrumentalists. I have a problem that I am holding close and watching over. I want everything fixed, and yet I am afraid to hand it to the One who can restore and make all things new. When I do finally ‘let go and let God’ I insist on putting in my two cents on how He should handle things.

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This refusal to give my problem to the Lord is really a lack of trust. Insisting on helping Him when I do finally ‘kinda’ hand it over shows an abundance of pride and impatience; pride in my own abilities and solutions and impatience that things are not working fast enough to suit me.

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The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Ecclesiastes 7:8

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I would do well to take Chuck the brass man’s advice to his clients: Hand over the horn, sit down in that chair and keep quiet. When I do those things I can then watch the Master Craftsman and Restorer do His perfect work. And what a beautiful thing it is to behold!

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The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7

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Prayer:
Father God, Creator of all and Fixer of broken things, thank You for showing abundant patience with me. Please help me to hand over my horns to You. Amen.

Challenge:
What are you holding onto? Is it a child in rebellion, a devastating illness, an unpaid bill, a broken down car, a fractured friendship? Whatever it is, I encourage you to lay it down firmly at the feet of the Lord. Then sit down and let Him work; only saying and doing what He instructs you to do.
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Jen 2010