"Putting the horse before the cart"...thoughts from Psalm 28:7...

Many "quaint old sayings" get carried on over time, while their original meaning gets completely lost.  One such saying is..."that's putting the cart before the horse."  Obviously, the intent of the original saying was to identify the fact that the order in which someone was doing, or about to do, something, was completely backwards...just the opposite of what it should have been.  It wouldn't work that way...it couldn't work that way.

Unfortunately, not many people today see horses pulling carts through their streets, let alone actually attempt to hitch a horse to a cart.  As a result, I once heard a man exclaim, in a very loud and serious voice, "...that's putting the horse before the cart!"  He hadn't simply misspoken...he was quite serious.  He was familiar with the expression, but, completely unfamiliar with the meaning of the expression.  As a result, his emphatic statement was as inappropriate as the situation he was applying it to.

Even though his comments were not directed towards me...I couldn't help but overhear his statement.  The clear contradiction caught my attention...I immediately thought to myself, but...that's where the horse belongs...before the cart!  How absolutely silly he sounded.

I was very quick to recognize that man's error.  Unfortunately, I'm not always quite so quick to recognize my own.

Putting things in their proper order...doing things in their proper order...is the only way we can reasonably expect a proper outcome.

It's a good thing to desire to know and experience joy in the Lord.  It's also a good thing to desire to trust the Lord...especially in the midst of difficult and trying situations.  Too often, however, we're prone to fall into the trap of expecting our experience of joy in Him to provide the motivation...the strength...the courage...to trust Him.  That, I believe, is putting the cart before the horse.


One brief verse in Psalm 28 is very helpful here.

      The LORD is my strength and my shield;
         my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
      My heart leaps for joy
         and I will give thanks to him in song.
                                                   Psalm 28:7

Having cried out to the LORD in his time of distress, and having seen the LORD respond in faithful provision...just as He has so faithfully in the past...David then offers his praise and thanks.  The sequence here is extremely important.


First, David restates a truth about the LORD...He is David's "...strength and shield."


Second, David responds to that truth, with trust.  "...my heart trusts in Him."

Then, David exclaims that his "...heart leaps for joy."

Finally, David determines that he will now, and in the future "...give thanks to Him in song."  David will worship his LORD.

David meditates on a truth about God, and is moved, based on that truth, to trust in God.  His joy in God is the result, as is his determination to praise God.  Some translations make this even more evident by including the conjunction "therefore," immediately before "...my heart leaps for joy."

I should not seek to be strengthened to trust God by, and because of, the joy I have in God.

Rather, it is right and proper to trust Him simply because of Who He is.  What I will find is that true joy will follow...not simply because He answers, but because I am living in light of the truth.

But, isn't it true that Scripture says that the joy of the LORD is my strength?  Absolutely.  This, however, is part of an ongoing process of growing in Him.  The joy David experienced as a result of his having trusted his LORD, then becomes a strengthening factor in his next time of trial...and, so too for each one of God's children.

But, isn't it also true that Scripture says that it was "...for the joy set before Him..." that Christ endured the cross, despising its shame?"  Yes.  But, Scripture also makes it clear that His matchless and unfathomable love, was His motivation...not His own joy.

Trying to get someplace by putting the cart in front of the horse would be a frustrating and futile undertaking.  So, too, trying to depend on my feelings of joy in the Lord to enable me to trust Him, will also prove to be frustrating and futile.

However, seeing Him for Who He is...meditating on the truth He's revealed, and acting on that revelation in humble trusting obedience, will, surely bring me to that place of true joy in Him, resulting in praise to Him, and He will be glorified, as He alone deserves.