4.01.2006

and her child was caught up to God

Check out Ps118:13:

"You pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the LORD helped me."

I like this imagery of the Lord catching us as we fall. Of our own missteps -- or liar's violent shoving -- causing us to stumble, with the Lord there to help. The allusions are there in the Word. In the Gospels, Jesus talks about severing hand or foot if they cause us to stumble. He tells us it's better to be drowned than to trip one of His little ones. Paul discusses in James the idea of sin and the law and stumbling. That we fall is clear.

But think of the catching allusions as well. Jesus walks along the shores and finds James and John and informs them that their new livelihood will be to catch men. This is what the Lord does; He catches people. Jesus calls Peter across the sea -- the whole faithsteps scene -- and Peter sinks and stumbles, and the Lord reaches out to grasp him. It says the Lord "took hold" of him. Held him and did not let go. Perhaps the clearest fellow reference is Ps37:23-24:

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand."

He is the One who catches you. He is the One who helps you. He is the One who takes hold of you. He is the One who holds your hand. He is the One. Catch me now, I'm falling. He will if you let Him.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I asked Him to let me fall and die. Obviously the answer was no cause I'm still here. I just hope He shows me why He caught me before I want to fall again.

Wept_over said...

I've also asked him to fall in those moments of darkness where sleep seems so lovely. But the Lord is a Lord of life. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly." He says. The walk of faith is sometimes not knowing the why of the catching, but merely trusting that there is a why. Ultimately, the why is always "Because I love you."