For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Proverbs 24:16
I realize there are times you stumble, falter in your faith, react instead of respond, and act out of the flesh and not the Spirit. But I also know this: although failing, the righteous stand back up.
“Fall seven times.”
As referenced from the above verse, the Hebrew term, naphal, indicates a fall into frequent troubles that beset the soul (and not necessarily a reference to sins, as many might suppose,). This illustrates one who in vulnerability is not exempt from worldly cares and losses, nor the crafty attacksagainst the righteous (as mentioned Proverbs 24:15). The reference to falling “seven times” appropriates the Hebrew understanding of “complete,” and here simply means “often and regular.” The writer of Proverbs reminds us that the righteous will often fall into trouble (with regrets and disappointments). But he or she does not have to stay there!
“The righteous one.”
Although falling frequently into trouble, the righteous one never loses his or her trust in God, nor disobeys God by fretfulness and impatience against Him. Instead, this is the one who trusts in God’s providence and knows that God delivers from all afflictions. The righteous one – the one who walks in fellowship with God through faith in Christ, may often fall into the troubles this life brings. But the righteous one also stands back up! The righteous one understands that calamities usher the child of God more deeply by faith into the presence of God. The hardships that sometimes trip us can also press us even more desperately into dependence upon the work of the Holy Spirit within.
“They rise again.”
The struggles can indeed make one stronger, and the righteous know this. The righteous do not stay down under the hand of regret and guilt, nor do they allow adversity to create apathy. The righteous get back up. They rise up again.
Today, do not allow failures or regrets to keep you down. Get back up. Though you might have fallen into the despair of troubles, resolve that God is working something significant in your life, and get back up. Don’t stay down.
In a classroom full of students, a professor once asked: “If you had $86,400.00 and someone stole $10.00 from you, would you throw away the $86,390.00 you still have to try and get your $10.00 back? Or would you just let it go?” The students all said they would let it go. Then he told them, “You have 86,400 seconds every single day and this time is much more valuable than money. You can always work for more money, but once a second passes you can never get it back.”
“Every time something upsets us we have probably lost at least 10 seconds. So why do we throw away the other 86,390 seconds worrying about it or being upset. We all make this mistake, and it is time to start letting the little things go.”
As you daily walk by faith in Jesus Christ, don’t sweat the small things that can keep you spiritually out of focus. Yes, the little problems in life can sometimes feel like big things that attempt to knock you down. They can weigh heavy on your mind and soul. But, by faith move past them. Do not linger there. And, as you realize how God can use those negative moments to ignite a deeper faith, resolve to quickly get back up. Don’t waist another minute living under weight of past failures or problems.
Get back up. And enjoy the next step in your walk with Jesus.
Blessings.
READ
Read Proverbs 24:15-20 and be encouraged to walk forward with stronger faith.
