Bit in Mouth

There are few things that are more powerful than being on horseback. You have a half ton of living, breathing animal underneath you, with a mind of its own. You can look down and watch the world through the ears of your horse. You can run with the wind blowing your hair back, through field and woods, over creeks and roads. You listen to the breathing and snorting of the great animal, and feel the ripples of muscle underneath you.

A horse when bridled will only go where it is led by the rider. Sometimes a horse will stop and not go on. They might throw their head, or shy away from certain objects. These reactions are fear, or not enough trust in what the rider wants. Psalm 32:9 says that we shouldn't be like the horse, with no understanding, being turned by bit and rein. We need to be smarter than the animal when it comes to listening to God's will.

Another example using the horse is in Ephesians 3:3. Just like a small bit can control this large horse, so our tongue can control us.