May 8, 2012

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.

Psalm 37:23-24

Thoughts ~

When my daughter decided she wanted to walk at 8 ½ months, there was just no stopping her. I was not prepared for such an active child since my son waited until he was 13 months to stop crawling. Allie wanted to walk everywhere and because she was so petite, she looked like a little wind up doll, toddling around the mall, one Saturday afternoon. She always wanted to hold my finger though; she felt secure and knew I would never let her go. One time she slipped out of my grasp and startled herself as she continued walking all on her own. All at once, she tripped on a tiny crack, but before she could take a fall, her dad grabbed her up and held her close. Just like our Father does when we stumble.

As I walk through life, I’ve sure learned that holding the hand of the Lord is the only way to go. I tried it on my own even after I was saved. Big mistake! Now, as I trust Him with my life, He directs me in the ways that are best for me, delighting in my life as I put Him first. It is so reassuring to know that when I do stumble, He is there to catch me. Really, stumbling is a beneficial part of a Christian’s life: it is there that we feel the sweet embrace of our Lord.

Action ~

Are you what God would call godly? He is the only one that truly sees into our hearts. Being godly means to put God first in your life, to obey Him. It doesn’t mean you don’t sin and goof up, it simply means you know that God is the answer to life, to your life. As the Psalm says, God will catch the godly before they take a fall. It’s not a matter of pride to know in your heart if you are godly . . . you either are or you aren’t. You know the answer, you know if He is more important than anything else. 

Make a list today of the things you are putting before God. Tell Him you want to put Him first, before everything else. If you love to cook or garden or build things, you can still do those fun projects. Godliness is simply putting God at the top of your list. And never taking Him off.

Pray ~

Lord, thank You for the hundreds of times you have caught me before I have fallen flat on my face. Show me quickly when I take You off the top of my list and put anything else above You. Show me, before I stumble.

Trusting in Him,

Becky