Hurled with Restraint

This morning, I was able to sneak in a few moments to read some more of a book I am halfway through right now.  It's A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, now I usually don't recommend a book until I complete it, but I can't recommend this enough at the halfway point!!  I'm at an interesting place in the book, a place where there is content I did not expect nor even know my heart desperately needed.  So I'm sitting here at my computer humbled and blessed.  I am thankful for the commitment of fellow believers to write what the Lord has taught them.  I'm in the middle of writing my own first book and it is tough.  Much more work than I anticipated and one thing I am learning I am very grateful for being blessed by so many good books throughout my life because finishing a book is no easy task...yet many do and I am thankful.

So lately as I've been having my own struggle to get focused on finishing my book, and most of the struggle to finish is internal.  I've got thoughts of doubt, condemnation, and frustration.  It's not true for everyone, but for me, I am my own worst critic.  So this morning as I walked through the pages of this book, I came to this:

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD; and He delights in his way.  When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the LORD is the One who holds his hand."  Psalm 37:23-24  

Reading these verses this morning they literally were so full of life it was as if they jumped off the page, and wrapped themselves around my heart.

I emphasized "when" because it's a guarantee,in fact in the original language another word for it is 'certainly.'  When I fall.  I'm going to fail the Lord, I'm going to make a mess out of the blessings He gives me.  It will happen.  I do not want  it to happen, but I'm not perfect.  My head knows that, my heart knows it, and yet...there is pride...that deeply rooted pride that sneaks in through even the smallest of circumstances that whispers, "you aren't as bad as her" "you've got this" "you deserve better" "at least your kids don't act like that" "you are a much better mom because..."  "you're more mature than her because...."   And the lists go on.  

We can know in our minds and our hearts that we are that bad, but our actions have to follow suit.  They've got to line up with what our mouths profess to believe...it's that whole reality of James 1:22, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."  Living out the Word is tough, and sometimes I'll be honest...my actions might do what appears right but inside I am battling with my heart to have the grace, mercy and love of my Lord.  I want that.

I want my heart to be rooted and established in His word and grounded in His love, that simply because He has blessed me I will be a blessing (Gen 12:2).  I'm not even talking about tangible blessings...I'm talking about the mercy and grace of Christ on the cross crucified for me.  So amazing it's almost unbelievable and yet it is TRUTH. 

So, He tells me I will fall, but He says "he shall not be hurled headlong."  I will fall and fail and stumble...and yet He is holding my hand and will not allow me to be hurled (cast down or thrown down) because He is holding onto me.  As I read "hurled headlong" I had the image of an intense throw.  I mean when you hurl something you are putting all your might into that throw.  So does this world, and sin, and Satan.  All that is against us doesn't always come as stealthily as pride sometimes does.  Mostly it hurls attacks at us.  Hurl means to throw something with force.  We are forcefully thrown about in our battle against sin.  Yet we will not be hurled without restraint, as our Loving Heavenly Father holds our hands, and keeps us from going headlong.

All the battles that rage within me are comforted and stilled by the Price of Peace and His powerful word.  I am not hurled headlong, and though I may be forcefully attacked (by sin, shame, doubt, condemnation, frustration...whatever it may be), I am never out of His hand.  He is my guide, holding my hand and establishing my steps.  And as we are hurled about by the battle against sin, we are confident that the war itself has been won by One much greater than ourselves.  He paid the price that although we are hurled about in this life, we can rest in the truth that His Sovereign grip of grace is firmly on our lives.  He restrains the hurling.  We will not be hurled headlong, He hold our hands.

Lord, how we need You to order the steps of our hearts to align with Your word...please work that out in our lives today. Amen!