Daily Devotional

-September 13, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-We May Fall But We Must Rise Again-

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”

(Proverbs 24:16).

Just because we are saved doesn’t isolate us against the trials, afflictions, and sorrows of life that are common to man. Here in our text Solomon notes that, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” When the OT speaks of a righteous man or the righteous, it refers to believers.

The difference between a believer and unbeliever is that the Lord is with us through our trials to encourage us to get back up when we fall. Adversity makes us stronger. Psalm 34:19 promises, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” It tells us about falling seven times but rising again. We must get up each time we fall.

It certainly reminds us of the series movies featuring the boxer Rocky Balboa. In each of his movies, Rocky took quite a beating in the fight and was knocked down several times before getting up and winning the fight by a knockout. Life is just like this for us, we will get knocked down but we must get up and come back.

Zig Ziglar said, “Getting knocked down is a given. Getting up and moving forward is a choice.” We learn so much from our trials, adversities, and afflictions. The Lord is with us through them all. We have the assurance that when we get up God will help us to regain and attain. David knew a few things about getting knocked down in life and getting up again each time. Psalm 37:24 says, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

In the NT, Paul was knocked down many times but kept getting up and going forward. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:9-10, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

The unbeliever, called the wicked, shall fall by calamity in this life, and especially in eternity to come. As Solomon urges us, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him” (Proverbs 24:17-18). Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us.

We as God’s people should be sympathetic and empathetic toward others who are hurting. The more we suffer, the more we can feel with others and encourage them. We should encourage others to get up after falling.

Job, of all biblical characters along with Joseph, was knocked down many times but got up each time. His end was better than his beginning because of the Lord. Joseph was in a similar situation and he came forth victoriously at the end.

Have a blessed day. We must get up each time we fall and trust in Jesus that is all. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean