Stumble and Get Back Up

"For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity." - Proverbs 24:16

I know what it feels like to let God down. To one day feel like you're so close and you're on the right path… and then the next you've stumbled and it hurts. You fell down and committed the sin you swore you weren't going to. Maybe it's an addiction you're fighting. Maybe it's the way you're treating someone. Whatever it is… it's separating you from God and that guilt, that shame is tearing you up inside. One day you feel worthy of the Lord and the next you convince yourself you shouldn't even go to church on Sunday.

There's good news here and it's that you're human. Jesus fully understands those painful weaknesses and that's why He came to save us. This verse in Proverbs is amazing… the just man falls seven times… if you saw someone make a mistake seven times, you would brush them off, wouldn't you? God doesn't. To God, the only thing that matters is that we get back up. You can sin one hundred times in a day and if by the end of the day, you turn back and try again for God, in His eyes you are just. The only thing that separates the wicked from the just is that the wicked stay down and give up.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your unconditional love and mercy. I thank You that You don't judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves sometimes. Whenever I stumble, and You know I do often, please be there to lift me back up. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Sins of the Heart

"The fool dreams only of sin." - Proverbs 24:9

Paul said in the letter to the Romans that he does the evil he hates and not the good that he wants to do. Even a man like Saint Paul struggles with his tendency to sin, so we must struggle all the more. God knows this and His grace gives us strength, but we have a problem that needs serious correction if our sin comes from within. We might lose our temper or face temptation and fall, but sometimes we never planned to do these things. However, there are those that plan to sin. Examine your own conscience right now - where are your thoughts? What do you dream of? Is revenge in your heart? Are you hoping to see someone's downfall? Are you planning someone's harm? Even if you never carry these things out, you are a sinner and need to reconcile your relationship with the Lord. One might think that if one doesn't go through with these things, they don't count, but they do. God sees what's in your heart and your evil within is enough to condemn you. You are a fool if you entertain these thoughts. You have evil in your heart and you stray from the Lord who is good. It really doesn't matter who has hurt you, who has betrayed you and sparked the anger because God is just and will take care of those who have wronged you. For your part, turn to God. Cleanse your heart and be at peace with God so that He can heal you and bring you peace.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, have mercy on those who are far from You and entertain sin in their minds. Have mercy on those that seek revenge and harbor hatred because of their pain. Let them know that Your love is so much bigger and Your mercy heals and soothes all things. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Wisdom

"The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord." - Proverbs 1:7

We are all thirsty for knowledge and spend our time going to school and reading; trying to be well-rounded, educated people. However, in Proverbs, King Solomon writes that in order for anyone to ever learn anything, he must fear the Lord first. King Solomon was King David's son. Solomon was so pleasing to God that He told Solomon he could ask Him for anything and He would grant that wish. Instead of asking for more riches, women, or power, King Solomon asked God for wisdom and it is said that he was one of the wisest people to have ever lived. The book of Proverbs is dedicated to his teachings about knowledge, wisdom, and how to lead a good life. If with all his great wisdom, King Solomon stresses that the beginning of knowledge is fear of the Lord, then we must know our place and realize that if we truly want to know anything, we must respect God and pay Him honor. All knowledge comes from the Lord. If we don't learn this and put it to use, then we will never be truly wise.

Today's Prayer:
Thank You Lord for Your words of wisdom. Grant that Yours is the only knowledge I seek. In Your Name we pray, Amen.