Prevent Stumbling

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

Psalm 119:165

Pause

It was dark and the dock was slippery when Gene and I returned from an overseas ministry trip. I was wearing a twenty-two-pound backpack and pulling a carry-on bag. Suddenly my left ankle twisted, and I went down. The weight on my back pushed me flat into the wood planks. Amazingly, my only injury was wounded pride.

Realizing how easily I can stumble encourages me to take extra precautions, especially on dark, rainy nights. The same is true in the spiritual realm. We can so easily tumble into the pit of doubt, fear, or self-pity when darkness falls and rain pours. That’s where we lose perspective and doubt God’s integrity.

We safeguard ourselves from falling by walking in God’s truth. For instance, we read about casting our cares on the Lord, and then we do it. We hear about his faithfulness and choose to trust him. The more we walk in truth, the more peace and hope we experience and the less likely we are to stumble into despair.

Ponder

What’s one action you can take to protect your heart from stumbling into fear?

Pray

God, help me readily identify wrong thinking that will trip me. Teach me to walk in your truth.