Okay, so you bit the dust.
Or somebody else rubbed your face in it.
You zigged when life or the economy or the whole dang world zagged, and now you’re in the soup.
As a 55-year veteran of falling, regardless of the reason, let me take on the role of Captain Obvious: It hurts. And it’s way past scary to try and get back up.
And that’s exactly why you’d better have a Source beyond your own willpower to make that happen. Check this out:
The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14, NIV).
It’s part of the ongoing, consistent nature of God to uphold all who fall. Speaking as one who has fallen on multiple occasions, for multiple reasons, I can testify that the Lord – and only the Lord – can be that consistently faithful. People, despite the sincerity of their love and commitment, eventually let us down. The Lord, on the other hand, is faithful and consistent to lift up the fallen.
The Calling in our Falling
Fall. I love the imagery of that. It’s a very common word in Hebrew and can mean many different things.
It could mean the literal, physical act of falling.
Or a warrior being wounded in battle because of someone else’s weapon being aimed in his direction.
Or becoming captured by an opponent.
Or grave failure.
Or the ruin of a city or nation.
Now as miserable and painful as falling can be, I actually find some encouragement here. (If you’re still nursing those wounds, stick with me here.)
What encourages me about the general nature of this word is that falling is falling. It doesn’t matter what caused it or who’s to blame. Falling is falling.
Yes, sometimes falling is failing. Sometimes falling is getting blindsided by someone else’s evil. Sometimes falling is nothing more than tripping over our own two feet. Regardless, the temptation when we’ve fallen, whatever the experience looks like, is to analyze, to assign blame, or to determine cause. That has its place. But the most important question for the one who just face-planted on the ground is, who will help me now?
The Lord, that’s who. He lifts up all (that’s a-l-l) who fall. Regardless of cause. Regardless of the effect. Regardless of who is or isn’t in your life right now. Best I can tell, there is only one thing that would stand in the way of His helping you…
And that’s you.
Yeah, you… trying to look all, “I’ve got this… I’m OK.” You, being too proud to ask God for help. You, trying to blame your bleeding and the taste of dirt in your mouth on God.
There’s a calling in your falling if you’ll trust Him and reach up.
This is Personal
The rich word “upholds” can be translated, “lean upon,” “lay,” “put,” or “uphold.” What I like about those words is that all those translations involve personal touch. Some translations focus more on the result and use words like “sustains.” That describes more the actual result, but is a much more impersonal translation than the original word would suggest. The net result is to “refresh” or “revive” to be sure. But the focus of this verse is that when we are fallen, the Lord shows up and personally gets involved.
He touches us. He lays his hands upon us, metaphorically speaking. And if you take the word “upholds” in its most literal sense, if your faith is in Him, the only way you can fall is to fall into His arms.
You probably need to read that again: The only way you can fall is to fall into His arms.
Whatever the cause, whatever the effect, when we’re the ones who have fallen, the only true source of refreshing or reviving – our only sustenance or faithful source of support – is the Lord himself. But that’s the only source you need.
The faithful touch from the hand of God – that is the hope for the fallen.
The healing power from the wisdom of God – that is the hope for the fallen.
The helping strength from the heart of God – that is the hope for the fallen.
The restoring life from the breath of God – that is the hope for the fallen.
That’s your hope when you can’t get up.
Don’t you think you can trust Him?
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