God Is Ready To Help When We Stumble And Fall

While working in a warehouse several years ago, I fell while walking in a small puddle of water on the concrete floor. As a result, I severely sprained my ankle, requiring a cast and several weeks of painful physical therapy. The results of that fall are still fresh in my mind. The pain of falling in that puddle of water is still with me, making me much more cautious when I have to walk in any small puddle left after a rain. Having fallen once, I take every precaution to avoid doing so again.

Falling is not a good experience, but for anyone who has stumbled and fallen in life, something positive can result — if the fall leads to a more careful way of living (Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:5 ESV).

Paul admonished, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Christians do stumble and fall (Romans 3:23; James 3:2; Hebrews 4:11; 1 John 1:8). But when we do, our goal must be to learn from our error and to avoid a second spill.

If we have stumbled and fallen along the course of life’s journey, there’s hope. Let’s first ask God for guidance for He “upholds all who fall” (Psalm 145:14). Paul tells that God will “keep us from stumbling” (Jude 1:24), but only when we “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 1:21). We accomplish this by “keeping His commandments” (John 15:9-10).

Then we must continually read and study God’s Word, living carefully by its principles — being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Beloved, have we stumbled and fallen because of sin in our life? If we have, let’s ask God to help us get up, forgive us, and not fall again (Psalm 145:14; 1 John 1:9; cf. Psalm 32:5; John 8:10-11).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets