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Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, devotional, devotions, encouragement, exhaustion, family devotions, God's Word, keep from stumbling, love of God's Word, stumbling, stumbling blocks, ways to keep from stumbling
Wouldn’t it be great to never have to worry about stumbling blocks in our Christian life? To not have to think about what’s going to trip us up next? I’m not saying we wouldn’t be watchful, just not likely to make mistake after mistake after mistake. Sounds like a great life, doesn’t it? Is that even possible? Is it a “pie in the sky” type of dream, or can it be our reality?
Psalm 119:165 says, “Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.”
I discovered this verse yesterday and it reminded me that stumbling, or the lack thereof, is always tied up with the Word of God. When I am loving His Word, studying His Word, meditating on His Word, my thoughts are totally different than when I’m not. When I am in His Word, I am filled with peace, not wanting. I am filled with knowledge, not confusion. I am filled with thoughts of Him and not myself. When my thoughts are filled with Him, my actions follow and I am not stumbling along making poor decision after poor decision. I have great peace because I am in love with His Word.
So, the question for today is, “Are you in love with His Word?” Before you answer too quickly ask yourself how much time are you in His Word. Is it one of those relationships where you make your obligatory visit as you would an unknown aunt in the nursing home, or is it a relationship that you look forward to, talk about afterwards and are enthralled with? That’s loving the Word of God. That’s when peace comes. That’s when we don’t stumble.
Job 23:12 tells us that Job thought more of the words from God’s mouth than his necessary food. Job wanted what God had to say more than he wanted food! That’s why we read in Job 1:22, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.” Job was kept from stumbling by loving God’s Word.
Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”
That’s the kind of relationship I want with God’s Word, don’t you? I want to gobble up everything the Lord has for me each and every day from His Word. I want to think about it, memorize it, meditate on it and love it. It’s God’s beautiful letter to us that took many years and many lives to reach us and I fall into the trap of taking it for granted at times. But, I really want peace and I really want to stop all this stumbling around. So, my prayer for us today is that we would love God’s Word. That’s it. That’s all I’m praying. When that prayer is answered in the affirmative, so much is taken care of, so much stumbling diverted. Oh, that we would be a people of The Word!
Jude 24 says, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory with great joy.”
Our God can do His part. Let’s do ours.
*Photo by tuffmommablog