Earlier today on Bellshill Salvation Army Band’s Facebook page I shared some devotions. I’d like to share those devotions with you tonight.
When we were young, I’m sure we all fell and scraped our knees, elbows, or as in my case, even your chin! We probably cried when we fell, but after a plaster was applied, and a kiss and cuddle from mum or dad, all would be well again, and we’d carry on playing, completely forgetting we’d recently fallen and hurt ourselves.
If only every problem in life was solved as easily as applying a plaster, and getting a kiss and cuddle from a loved one! They say that we get wiser as we get older…but do we really?
When we’re young, we cry out with pain when we feel pain, but after comfort from a loved one, that pain is forgotten, and we get on with our lives again – but when we get older we’re more inclined to hang onto our pain (physical or emotional), and analyse the situation in depth, and dare I say it, be less forgiving toward those who hurt us.
Life causes us to ‘stumble’ or ‘fall’ many times during our lifetime. Sometimes the reason we stumble is because of things we ourselves say or do, other times we stumble because of what others have said or done to us, while other times we ‘fall’ because events which we all have to cope with during our life, such as the death of a loved one.
What do you do when you ‘fall’ or feel broken?
I waited patiently for the Lord;
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
Personally I often listen to music, and particularly when I’ve ‘stumbled’ or ‘fallen’. I quite often listen to music when I’m working, but these times times have significantly reduced since I’ve been working from home full-time since the start of lockdown, as my days seem to be filled with more and more online meetings! That said, last week I had some music on while I was working, as a background noise only, so I wasn’t paying very much attention to the music. But a particular song caught my attention, and so I found myself stopping and listening to the words in more detail – They are words which always remind me that life is rarely perfect, and so we often feel battered and bruised by life’s ‘stumbles’ and ‘falls’. But no matter how often we fall, God loves us, and lifts us up, heals our wounds, and forgives us of our sins
Let the morning find me alive
For I am tired and weakened by the fall
Let all the earth bear witness to my cry
Mercy, weep over me
Let Your tears wash me clean
Majesty, be merciful with me
For my eyes have seen Holy
Are you needing a reminder that God still loves you, forgives you and will lift you up when you fall? If so have a listen to My Eyes Have Seen Holy by Bebo Norman.
Am I unfit for You
Remember me, the one who turned from You
I come in rags tattered by the fall
And all the earth, a witness to my crime
Mercy, weep over me
Let Your tears wash me clean
Majesty, be merciful with me
For my eyes have seen Holy
Hear my prayer at night
Let the morning find me alive
For I am tired and weakened by the fall
Let all the earth bear witness to my cry
Let the amen sound from heaven as You lift my soul
Let the amen sound from heaven as You lift my soul
Let the angels sound from heaven, holy is the Lord
The Distinct Dot 