In 6th grade I took a big fall. There was a cleaning day happening at our church and one of the tasks involved buffing and polishing a laminate floor just off the gymnasium. The floor had been thoroughly stripped and was a soapy SLICK mess. I found this inviting.
After testing my shoe-to-floor feel, I went for the maximum experience. I went to the other side of the gym to reach terminal velocity. I sprinted toward the open door and as soon as I reached the threshold, I jumped into a record-breaking power slide, one that would have made the Risky Business of Tom Cruise look like child’s play.
When I hit the slippery, soapy, ice-like tile, there was an acceleration of momentum that I was not ready for. This sent me grasping for balance and immediately losing that battle smashing forehead first into the freshly cleaned floor. I was cooked!
Dazed and confused, my forehead grew like a Wiley E. Coyote head bump. It was unbelievable, but somehow, by the grace of God, I did not have any further complications or medical issues beyond a concussion. (Some have debated my head being ok, but according to doctors, I’m F-F-F-fine!)
Sometimes, falling DOWN is just painful! But, it’s only in falling down that we learn what it’s like to get back up.
The wisdom writer of Proverbs wrote about this very thing. In chapter 24 verse 16 we read, “Though the righteous fall seven times, they will get back up, but the wicked fall in times of calamity.”
The significance is that falling is inevitable for EVERYONE. Babies don’t learn how to walk without falling down, over and over again. And followers of God are not exempt from tripping and falling. In fact, the scripture states that falling down is bound to happen. Furthermore, they will fall down seven times, which means COMPLETELY. Seven is a hugely significant number and anyone who heard something described using it would know the weight of it. So, just because the choice is made to follow Jesus and believe in and trust God, there is no escaping the wrath of the pavement of life to the point of total destruction.
Everyone experiences this, the wicked and the righteous alike. In His most famous sermon, Jesus addresses this by saying that the sun rises on the evil and the good and it rains on the just and unjust. So, both the good, as well as the bad of life happen to everyone. But there is a distinguishing outcome.
Sometimes, the falls are due to our own stupidity, like my falling. Other times, the falling is due to no fault of our own and is completely beyond our control. Regardless of the cause, self-inflicted, natural selection, or terrorism from others, falling down can hurt.
There is good news in the midst of falling. Those who hope in the LORD will “renew their strength; soar like eagles; run and not have to quit; walk and endure.” (Isaiah 40:31). They will get up 7 times, completely.
Falling down is both inevitable as well as necessary but STAYING down is a choice!
What has knocked you down? What will you choose today!???!
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