Don't Be a Punching Bag!

"If you do what the LORD wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure. The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall." Psalm 37:23-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Recently, while doing my LIFE (Living in Freedom Everyday) small group homework, I was asked to read the above verse and say what happens when the godly stumble. However, what I found more interesting is that the writer, David, says "if you stumble". As though it's assumed we won't fall (sin) the closer we are to Jesus. Right before I was getting up the nerve to speak up at my small group, God gave me a revelation about this. At least, He spoke to me in the way I learn best, through analogies.

Do you remember those punching bag toys from the 80's, where the bottom was filled with sand? Usually they were about four feet high once fully inflated, with a picture of a clown or something on the front. Well, if we continually stand and hold on the promises of God (which by the way, according to Google, there are more than 3,000 in the Bible), then they are like grains of sand to anchor us down; much like the sand in the punching bag. The more "sand" in your life, the less likely you'll be to fall (sin). Jesus is there holding your hand to give you balance and support. We just have to remember to keep holding on to His promises, so when the devil or outside forces attack, we'll be on guard and ready.

Here are some to you started:

Psalm 50:15 - "Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me."

James 4:7-10 - "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

Psalm 32:8 - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

I John 1:9 - "But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away."

Jeremiah 29:11-13 - "I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you."