July 19 - Falling.

Psalm 37:24
“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”
 
Some people are blessed with the gift of clumsiness where there are days when they can’t seem to stay on their own two feet. Can you relate? When we trip and fall, we have a choice…to get up or to stay down.
 
Falling Is Inevitable.
“Though he fall…”
The Book of James not only warns us that it is not if but “when” we will be in a trial, but remember the wording of that verse…
James 1:2
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
Falling is to be expected. We may fall because of a choice we made, or because of someone else’s choice that affects us. When our faith is tried we have an opportunity to grow, but we must first return to our feet.
 
Falling Is Part Of Our Sin Nature.
Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden is called “The Fall” for a reason. They stumbled and fell into sin through their disobedience. We have inherited sin because of their fall. Despite their sin, God did not leave them in the Garden of Eden. Likewise, when we fall He does not cast us aside to fend for ourselves.
“he shall not be utterly cast down”
We are not cast out of our relationship with the Lord. We may be cast down, but we are not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”
 
Falling Is Temporary.
Why are we not destroyed when we fall? Because He holds us in His hand!
“for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”
In the previous verse we are told that our steps are ordered by the Lord. If He orders our steps, then our falls are appointments that He allows. Our stumbles are not permanent when ordained by God the Father. He uses our falls and disappointments to teach us and point us to Him, and while doing so we are supported by the very hand of God. There is no safer place to fall!
 
Psalm 34:19
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
 
Falling Is Not Failure.
Sometimes our falls seem like failures to us, but in God’s eyes they are not failures at all. When our flesh gets in the way and we desire something contrary to what God has for us, we may get disappointed…but it is for our good. He has something better in store! We do not fail until we fail to get back up.
 
Proverbs 24:16
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…”
 
 
Bible Reading:
II Chronicles 23-24  |  II Timothy 4  |  Proverbs 20