On May 1, 2009 at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby a smaller horse named Mine-That-Bird entered the race at 50-1 odds. Mine-That-Bird had not fared well in his two previous races.

 

So it was no surprise that the long-shot horse struggled from the start of the race. Mine-That-Bird and jockey Calvin Borel got squeezed between the other horses and quickly dropped into last place. At the first quarter-mile stage, Mine-That-Bird was still running dead last. At one point, he was so far behind the other horses that NBC's announcer Tom Durkin at first missed seeing him.

 

But at the three-eighths pole, Mine-That-Bird started gaining on the other horses. After passing Atomic Rain, the horse took off. As Borel rode his horse around the eighth pole, he guided Mine-That-Bird between the rail and another horse. From that point Mine-That-Bird took off to victory, winning the mile race by 6 and ¾ lengths.

 

The victory stunned the horse racing world. Even Mine-That-Bird's owner said, "[The victory] wasn't something that was on our radar." Another horse owner said, "I was like, What happened? It was a shocker."

 

Mine-That-Bird's jockey Calvin Borel however, wasn't shocked. When asked what happened during the race, Borel simply said, "I rode him like a good horse."*

That statement jumped out at me..."I rode him like a good horse."  

 

There's an amazing spiritual analogy here if we will take the time to look at it with both eyes wide open.  The scriptures make it abundantly clear that "...While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

 

Imagine this if you will; heaven saw value in us, even when we we trapped in a mire of sin.  Jesus came to earth to bring about an incredible transaction that would help us to "finish well," even when we couldn't finish well on our own.

 

Lord, help me to see that You bring immense value to my life, and that without You, "finishing well" wouldn't be possible.

 

 

Have a great day and God bless!

 

 

 

Pastor Mike / The Open Word