It's Not the End

 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.

Psalm 37:23-25 NLT

I saw a post on social media that read, "Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey." and it made me think about people I've known who have stumbled and stayed there. Not to mention the times I've stumbled and not wanted to get back up...

Listen! The road CAN be very long. The path WILL twist and turn. There WILL be rocks and potholes and sometimes, debris in the way, left by the storms of life. Maybe some days, it seems so much easier to set up camp on this side of the giant mudslide or the tree across the road. Don't do it! Don't!

If our goal is heaven and we're not there yet, then we must keep moving forward! God has promised to go before us to make the crooked path straight. He has promised to direct our steps. He said He will hold us by the hand. Jesus said in John 16:33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. 

We slip, trip and stumble. Proverbs 24:16 declares, The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. So get up!  It's not the end of the journey! We're not there yet! Get up! Follow His footsteps!

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for wanting to quit when the going is hard. Prod us! Provoke us to good works! Keep Your Word ever alive in our hearts so that we draw our strength only from You. You ARE our Strength when we are weak and humble ourselves before You. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Mumbling, Grumbling and Stumbling

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Jude 24,25

Ever had one of those days where nothing goes the way you had planned? That's been today. I'd like to tell you that I took it in stride, kept my peace, and kept moving forward. I'd like to, but I can't. That would be a lie.

I have mumbled, grumbled and stumbled my way through most of this day. It started when my eyes were wide open and my brain on fast-forward a few minutes before 5am. MY plan was to sleep in until at least 7. Instead of giving God thanks that for the first morning this week I was awake and ready to go, I mumbled about it. 

Instead of thanking God for the strength and health to accomplish some Harvey-related restoration tasks, I grumbled because I could not complete all of them to my satisfaction. 

I may not have physically stumbled, but I sure stumbled when it came to maintaining walking in peace. Did I stop and correct? No, I just kept pushing, trying to accomplish what I wanted to get done... what I want...what I want...

And I was reminded of what my mother would say to me as a child if I complained about not getting what I wanted. "People in hell want ice water, but they're not getting it. Life is not about what YOU want. It's about helping others."

God forgive me! I cannot help anyone if I have nothing to give in the way of God's peace and His mercy and His grace. Thankfully, I have received all in abundance - once I humbled myself under His mighty hand...

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive me for mumbling and grumbling - I have found what Your Word has to say about those. That's not who I want to be. Thank You for the promise You have given me tonight - that to You - the One who is able to keep me from stumbling and to present me before Your glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen

* A Stumble is Not the End

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:23-25 NLT

I saw a post on social media that read, "Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey." and it made me think about people I've known who have stumbled and stayed there. Not to mention the times I've stumbled and not wanted to get back up...

Listen! The road CAN be very long. The path WILL twist and turn. There WILL be rocks and potholes and sometimes, debris in the way, left by the storms of life. Maybe some days, it seems so much easier to set up camp on this side of the giant mudslide or the tree across the road. Don't do it! Don't!

If our goal is heaven and we're not there yet, then we must keep moving forward! God has promised to go before us to make the crooked path straight. He has promised to direct our steps. He said He will hold us by the hand. Jesus said in John 16:33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. 

We slip, trip and stumble. Proverbs 24:16 declares, The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. So get up!  It's not the end of the journey! We're not there yet! Get up! Follow His footsteps!

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for wanting to quit when the going is hard. Prod us! Provoke us to good works! Keep Your Word ever alive in our hearts so that we draw our strength only from You. You ARE our Strength when we are weak and humble ourselves before You. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen