Is that true?

He will not allow you foot to slip –Ps 121:3

The Lord will protect you from all evil – Ps. 121:7

If you have lived the Christian life very long and then you read passages like those above, you wonder. You wonder if they are true in the literal sense or if they are speaking of the Spiritual realm? You wonder if you are an authentic follower of God because it seems that “evil” and “slipping” are an everyday occurrence.

Even when we have a “child like” faith, it is hard to reconcile troubles with an all powerful, all loving God. I believe God is aware of this issue. I also believe that we can come to resolve that results in great faith, not unanswered questions.

I as pondered these two statements in Ps. 121 for the first time I head in my spirit ….

There is a difference between slipping and tripping. I felt like God was instructing me that when we truly are following Him, He is able and willing to keep us from slipping, but He allows tripping. And….

Being kept from evil does not mean being taken out of circulation. If we have a dollar bill and keep it, we would hide it away; we would take it out of circulation and keep it safe. But when we do this, that piece of paper is worthless. As long as the dollar bill is not in circulation it is worth only what a piece of paper that size is worth. The value of a dollar bill is dependent upon its use. If the dollar is never used, but only “kept” than it was of no use, it is useless. God keeps us while we are in circulation, but being in circulation requires a lot of handling by the world. As Romans 8:44-36 informs us, we are circulated to overcome, not to be ripped apart. The motive of God is victory over the world and He both keeps us and places us at risk in this endeavor.

From the normal human perspective the safety and security of life far outweigh the safety and security of eternity. But the reality of God and the reality that He is placing in the hearts of His followers is, “now and forever are merged”. Momentary light afflictions are but a small thing, possible not even a slip, when experienced through life eternal.

Today you are going to live your life. Stuff is going to happen. You should not try to escape by living in the past or imagining that you are not going through what you are going through. We must live in and through what is happening to us, not denying it and not trying to avoid it. We can only truly overcome by going through these things with the help of God and in His will. God has set many things ahead of you for you to be mindful of. The greatest of which is unending fellowship with Himself. But as you mind is set on Him you still need to live in the moments He has given to you on earth. You need to stay in circulations so that the value that He has placed in you can be used in the world and overcome the work of the evil one.

And, if by chance you find yourself flat on your face you may be need to avoid self condemnations, as in “why did I slip”. You may need to seek the Lord about how to avoid being tripped up.