Stumble
I have had my clumsy moments along this journey of life. There are times my equilibrium is off just a tick and I maybe step wrong and stumble. When I stumble, I don’t always fall. I sometimes catch myself before I fall. When I stumble it’s like my whole body reacts and jerks hard the other direction to keep from falling. I’m pretty sure I’ve injured myself by trying not to fall. It might less painful at times to simply roll with the stumble and get right back up.
Paul refers to a passage of Scripture in Isaiah as he’s speaking to the Jews about Jesus. They are missing the presence of the Messiah, which was foretold for years before. They are “stumbling” over Jesus. Check this out…
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30-33 NIV)It’s really sad that many of the people of Israel can’t “see the forest for the trees”! After all they were the chosen people of God through whom Jesus came. They are the people who had the Patriarchs, the law, the covenants, the temple worship, the promises & the human ancestry of Jesus. They still missed it –they missed the most significant GIFT of all. The Law, the covenants….all of this pointed to Christ and they missed it! I can feel the angst in Paul for his people. They just can’t seem to grasp grace. They are so busy doing things that they can’t embrace a free GIFT of Grace.
I want to walk with the Lord daily and not miss His leading on my heart. I want to know Him in such a way as to walk where He says walk – WHEN He says to walk. I don’t want to get so caught in NOT doing things that are wrong, that I miss Him calling me to do something outside my comfort zone. I don’t want to stumble on my opinions, belief or my understanding of The Word. I want to hear from Him – the AUTHOR of the WORD and have Him direct my choices and my path daily. I don’t want to get so caught up doing things for Him that I miss the opportunity to be with Him.
Pressing On! Dwayne