Fall Much?

SCRIPTURE:  Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Proverbs 24:15-16

THOUGHT: I took a really hard fall about a month ago. Hit both knees simultaneously on thin carpet over concrete. My knees weren’t in great shape to begin with and now I’m wondering what else I’ve done. The irony wasn’t lost on me – I fell going into a theater to watch The Shift, a complicated story about good and evil if ever there was one. Like the main character in the movie, I felt Satan take a swipe at me, knocking me to my knees, which, when you think about it, is a great position to be in when you’re studying good and evil. Fortunately I was in one of those theaters with the comfortable recliners and sat through the movie with feet elevated, praying for healing and grace as I watched the hero and villain wrestle for the heart of mankind.

So, yes, I’m in pain still, but I’m also rising to the promises of a great, big God. We are not like our ancient enemy. We are not those who lie in wait to make someone stumble; and we are not those who will go down in calamity. We are those who fall and rise again the perfect number of times, even turning around to help others who’ve gone down hard. Perhaps we help an enemy and they have contempt for us because we are so incredibly naïve. Perhaps we help an angel, unaware. It is not up to us to be choosy; it is up to us to rise again in God’s grace as many times as we are knocked down and be a little more like him each time.

PRAYER: Oh God, thank you for this truth from your word: the righteous falls seven times and rises again. Thank you that we can walk without fear, knowing a fall may come, but your strong arms will be there.