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"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." - Psalms 37:23
It was a beautiful spring morning in the Northeastern corner of Arkansas. My wife and I were on "Spring Break" and were camping in the valleys between Fayetteville and Fort Smith, at a State Park named "Devil's Den."
We love to camp and had spotted the park while searching our map for a place to spend the week. Seemed kind of strange to think about two Christians being camped out in the devil's den!, but we loved the scenery and found ourselves spending five days there last spring.
On this particular day the sky was slightly overcast and the smell of rain lingered in the air from the early morning downpour. It was one of those lazy days where you just want to explore the countryside. The birds seemed to call out to us as they chirped their song. The flowers were peeking out and the colors of spring were beginning to show. A slight breeze made the afternoon complete. With such perfect surroundings, my wife and I decided to hike a nearby trail. It was a trail that we had been on several times before in the earlier days of our visit, but we decided to take it in one more time before we left.
As we went down the winding trail deeper into the woods, we discussed how creative the Lord was in His handiwork. We marvelled at how beautiful a setting He had made and we even sang a few verses of "How Great Thou Art." (Get out into God's creation and you'll be singing too!) I was making a comment about the plants when suddenly my foot slipped on the damp dirt trail. Instantly, I fell down the trail, stumbled over several tree trunks growing across the trail and landed with a thud against a large rock. A sharp pain ripped through my left hand and, as I looked down, I saw blood gushing from my palm, just below my small finger.
The jagged rock has pierced deep into my hand and a gaping hole remained. The other scrapes, cuts and bruises seemed insignificant compared with this one. We quickly made our way back to camp and bandaged my wound.
I remember being disgusted with myself. "How could I fall down that stupid
trail?!" I said. "We've been down that thing five times this week and, yet,
I fell down as if I had never been there before. If only I had paid more attention to what I was doing, maybe this wouldn't have happened."
One unguarded moment. One unguarded moment is all it takes to lose your step and take a fall. Christian, what is true of a hike on a trail is likewise true
in your relationship with Jesus Christ. One unguarded moment is all it takes
to lose your footing and find yourself in a precarious situation.
One unguarded moment is all it takes to tell a lie. One unguarded moment is
the time it requires to spread gossip. One unguarded moment can leave you with lust in your heart. One unguarded moment can lead to an affair with a flirty co-worker.
One unguarded moment is all it takes to lose your step and take a fall in your
spiritual life. You and I must not let our guard down...or satan will throw
a stumbling block into our path. If we take our eyes off of the Lord, even for a short time, then satan will place something in our way to trip us up.
I speak from experience, my friend. I have personally been walking along the trail of life with the Lord and felt strong and in control and I have stepped
in the wrong place and found myself asking for help to get back up. That's all it takes. You can be in the center of God's will, experiencing the blessings of Heaven and take just one small step in the wrong direction and find yourself down for the count. One unguarded moment.
There is some good advice for you and I to follow today. When you are at work or play, when you are talking with others, when you are watching television, when you are listening to music, when you are faced with a difficult decision, when someone makes you angry, whatever situation you find yourself in today, when you are walking down the trail of your life...
WATCH YOUR STEP!
Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown