Friday, January 21, 2011

One wrong step—and down we go!



"How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life!" Matthew 7:14

In some sense, the path to heaven is very safe—but in other respects, there is no road so dangerous! It is beset with difficulties. One wrong step—and down we go! And how easy it is to take that treacherous step—if grace is absent! 

What a slippery path is that—which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "But as for me, my feet were slipping—and I was almost gone!"

If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, howweak we are! 
Even in the best roads—we soon falter! 
In the smoothest paths—we quickly stumble! 
These feeble knees of ours—can scarcely support our tottering weight! 
straw may trip us up—and a pebble can wound us! 

We are mere infants, tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith. Our heavenly Father holds us by the arms—or we would soon tumble down!

Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patiencepower and wisdom of God—who watches over us moment by moment—and day by day! 

Think—

  how prone we are to sin,
  how apt to choose dangerous paths,
  how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down

—and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, "Glory to Him, who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy!" Jude 24
We have many foes—who try to push us down, and destroy us! 

The road is rough—and we are weak! 

But in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labor to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest deadly precipice!

Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us at every step! Such an arm is engaged for our defense. He is faithful, who has promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety!




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