...for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
"Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever". Wow, how profound and it came from a movie screen; X-Men, a fantasy action film. Yep, I'm sitting in the theater and God spoke to me.
Everything around me reminds me of something I have read in the Scriptures; a teaching that the Lord has left for me; a parable for me to glean from. All creation testifies of Him!
Stumbling, now that's not a word we would want to describe ourselves with; not a situation we would want to find ourselves in.
Nobody wants to fall, to find themselves in a place of error or embarrassment.
We've made a mistake and all eyes are on us. We are in the crowd, a place where words are exchanged and next thing you hear is a comment that you would argue could not have come from you. But there you are, awkward, tripping over your words as you try to excuse yourself but find that you are toppling in deeper. Why did I say that?
You agreed quickly and now you find yourself in a binding contract; the lender is coming after you. Yes, we borrowed more than we could pay back. We are over-extended, deep in debt. The binding contract is now an instrument, a thief that robs us of sleep.
We said we would go to church; committed our life to Christ, but we have served everything but him. The lures of the world have called out to us and we are answering, stumbling our way through life.
Misuse the name of God, dishonor our parents, steal, adultery, false testimony, greed, lies, pride, anger, malice, and on we go with our lives.
When we were kids we'd play outside and inevitably we'd find ourselves with bruises and scraped knees and elbows. See our parents warned us of climbing the fence, "don't climb the fence, you're going to get hurt".
The fence was probably there to keep us secure, inside safe pastures. But what did we do, we jumped the fence and found ourselves stumbling to the point of pain and sometimes blood. Scars to prove we disobeyed.
Something about the words "don't do it" cause something in us to rise up and challenge it; confront and defy authority. We are rebels out to prove ourselves correct.
Sin entices us. It's the one that whispers open the latch; go outside, it desires to see us fail, miss the mark and stumble. He calls to us, repeatedly saying, open it up, lift the hatch, climb the fence, go under the wire, and on it goes; all the while the group of "demonic cheer leaders" hoping that we fall.
If this was the end, we would be in a heap of trouble.
Since God made me, he knows how to call me back. Actually his love is so grand for me that the moment I disobey he reminds me of it; he offers forgiveness if I would but confess my sin quickly and turn from it. He can help me in my mess. Truly, if my ears were more attentive, I would have heard the warning and never found myself in danger or trouble. I would have been able to say no to mischief; the sin that calls me outside my area of safety.
The Lord has given every believer, all who trust in him the ability to resist sin and temptation. He always provides a way of escape! (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Sadly, as we get older, it’s no longer just a wired "fence"; it's our language, our actions, our thoughts, temptations, until sin consumes us.
We still think we can jump the fence and only scrap a knee or two. Some continue to walk never to return home to the safety provided for us.
Some of us like being outside the fence, don't we? The pleasures of sin sometime resonate well within us.
But the Lord knows that we are like lost sheep; dumb, unable to even stay within our beautiful gated community; we don't want to be controlled by anything, even if it’s good for us.
Through disobedience, we were kicked out of the Garden; but we were not lost forever.
God had a plan; a design with a purpose to regain that which was lost. "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever".
In the movie the X-Men (I won't give it fully away), one of the characters has lost her way; she seems confused and torn about decisions she needs to make in her life.
I'll leave it here: "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever".
Stumbling, an awkward motion; it's also an act that causes us to fall; we lose our footing.
Jesus is available, but the choice is ours to return home. He won't make us; he will indeed draw us with his love in hopes to win our heart. In the end, he is able to save us, something we cannot do for ourselves.
The price will be his life, but he will do it because of the love he has for us.
We make mistakes, but we don't have to stay there!
I hope you are reading through the Word of God; the whole counsel not just your favorite passages or the parts you assume you understand. The Word is alive! Enjoy and travel through this adventure that will impart wisdom; give insight, instruction, correction, make you laugh (at yourself) and will mature you in the ways of God. It's an incredible experience and it will keep you going back for more! Hallelujah!
God bless you!~Liz
