Stumbling But Not Falling

The Christian Working Woman Transcript

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - Various Topics: Stumbling But Not Falling


Have you ever stumbled? Isn't it embarrassing? I remember stumbling over my long dress at a piano recital as a young girl, and I can still feel the embarrassment of that moment.

In Psalm 37:23-24 we read, If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. When I recently read this verse I thought of many stumbles I've made in my walk with the Lord: Decisions that weren't the best, words that should not have been said, ventures that were less than successful.

But it was a great encouragement and comfort to realize that stumbling is not the end of the road. We can stumble without falling, if we're walking hand-in-hand with the Lord on a daily basis.

Those of us with children well remember walking along with their little hands in ours, and even then they would stumble quite frequently. But our sturdy hold on them lifted them up before their knees hit the ground and prevented them from falling.

That's what our heavenly Father does for us. We'll stumble, as children do, from time to time, and it's embarrassing. But if the Lord is delighting in our ways, we won't take a fall. Of course, that qualifying statement is important: "If the Lord delights in a person's way..." If we live in disobedience to God, we cannot claim this promise, and we will be vulnerable to falling.

However, walking daily with our hands in His doesn't mean we never get things wrong. It doesn't mean we always have everything together. It doesn't mean we are immune from stumbling. But we'll be upheld through those st­umbles by that mighty hand of God, and He won't allow us to fall flat on our face and be totally disgraced.

Stumbles are humbling experiences. They teach us anew how inadequate we are in ourselves, and then we place our hands more tightly in His, walking in His way, so that even though we stumble, we won't fall. Ah, I love it. What a great and compassionate God we have who, though we stumble, upholds us with His hand.