“For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.” (Proverbs 24:16 BSB)
“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT)
“But the Law came to increase and expand [the awareness of] the trespass [by defining and unmasking sin]. But where sin increased, [God’s remarkable, gracious gift of] grace [His unmerited favor] has surpassed it and increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20 AMP)
Three years ago I began working on improving my overall fitness (spirit, soul, and body). One of the most pressing needs was to lose weight. I was closing in on 400 pounds (and none of it was muscle). With God’s grace, and a lot of old fashioned hard work, by March of 2020 I weighed in at 240 pounds. Then came Covid, and like so many others I allowed all of the turmoil around me to take my eyes off the prize and I began to stumble. As of today (18 months later) I am back up to about 275. I have fallen not for the seventh time, but closer to 700 (maybe 7000). Time to get back up!
The great thing about having a personal relationship with Jesus is that I am never alone. He is always with me, regardless of whether I am walking on the water, or sinking fast. Whether I am jumping, and leaping, and praising the Lord, or flat on my face in the dirt. Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives me access to all of the resources of Heaven which means I cannot lose. No matter what the score is at the moment, the games not over. Having a Father who rules the Universe with love and grace means that no matter how bad I blow it, no matter how many times I sin and fail, He loves me without measure, and His grace goes far beyond my shortcomings. No wonder I can always get back up.
I want to encourage you today with the Truth that you can never out sin God’s grace. You can never make an overdraft on His mercy. You can never fall so many times that He will not help you get back up. Whether you have fallen 7 times, or like me it is closer to 7000, there is still hope. I can always get back up, dust myself off, thank the Lord for another chance, and go at it again.
Never give in, and never give up. Whatever desires and dreams you have given up on due to falling and failing, today is the day to forget the past and start new. It is never too late. You are never too old. Your Heavenly Father will never give up on you. It doesn’t matter how many times I fall. I just need to get up one more time. I can never fail if I don’t quit.
I have learned that hope is eternal, and the best is yet to come. It is good to learn from…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 138: “Weebles may wobble, and Bumbles may bounce, but sometimes I fall down.”