Stumble, Not Fall

I recently came across the seventh season of a crime and investigation series when I was flipping through the TV channels one day. As I was hooked after seeing only a few episodes, I decided to go back and watch the first six seasons on Netflix. Towards the end of the fifth season, there was a twist, and the writers started to introduce plots that made it seem like the lead character might die.

One episode was so direct that the main character was about to be blown to pieces by a bomb. My husband and I watched in suspense waiting for the inevitable. As we sat at the edge of our seats, holding our breath at the thought of what might come next, I suddenly remembered that there was no way this character would die today as I had seen her in the seventh season. I smiled, and told my husband to rest easy, our favourite character had a long and full life ahead of her. I could enjoy the remaining nerve racking scenes because I knew she would survive.

What a sense of relief you get from knowing that in the midst of uncertainty there’s an element of surety. The joy and satiety that come from knowing that even though you are in the dark about what happens next, God knows from the beginning how your story ends. So why fret, why worry about things you know or don’t, things you can change or can’t? It doesn’t matter what comes next. The end will be just fine.

One of my most beloved bible verses is Psalms 37:23–24:

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

I love the fact that my steps are supported by the gracious and loving hands of God. Even when I don’t know for sure where I’m headed, and even if I stumble in the process of getting ‘there,’ I won’t fall.

Take a minute and think about that. Look at a scenario in your life right now that spells failure, and then change that thought for a moment and call it a stumble. Know for a fact that when you stumble, God reaches out to hold you to ensure it’s only a brief stumble. You won’t fall. The writer of your life does a better job than TV series writers, and the end of your story is good. Trust in God that you’ll only stumble, not fall.