“Don’t Trip! Don’t Fall!”

 

“Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”

—Psalm 119:165

The National Safety Council reports that trips and falls still account for a significant number of injury-causing accidents in the United States. In fact, retail establishments, such as the big box stores and supermarkets, often go to great lengths to try to prevent customer trips and falls on their properties. Each year thousands of lawsuits are filed based on trip and fall accidents.

In our spiritual lives, we also have to guard against trips and falls. Most often these kinds of “accidents” begin when we consciously make a decision to ignore one of God’s instructions.

We know full well what the Bible says about a particular offense. But, we put that knowledge aside and proceed anyway. That kind of deliberate act constitutes a “trip” in our walk along the pathway God has laid out before us.

Once we “trip,” we often continue with a “fall” that seriously damages the forward progress of our spiritual formation. That’s why the so-called “little sins” frequently lead to more serious offenses against the holiness of God.

To help us make a forthright decision to avoid these trips and falls, the Psalmist offers these wise words in Psalm 119:165:

Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

You see, if we truly love God’s law—if we delight in obeying His commands and in following His instructions—we will avoid the “trips” and “falls” that might assail our spiritual walk with Him. As a result, we will experience true peace. By placing obedience to God’s will above the desires our own selfish wills, we will find that the Holy Spirit will fill our minds and hearts with God’s perfect peace.

As “Christ’s-ones” who long to faithfully serve God, we do well whenever we remain alert for those little sins that might creep into our lives because of our inattention and carelessness. We need to guard our footsteps to make certain we don’t trip.

The lasting peace that comes from obedience to God’s instructions is truly a reward that is well worth pursuing.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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