Falling Forward

“Don't touch that, you'll get diseased!” 
Benjamin shouted at Angela (putting an emphases on the last word.) The cat had brought in its prey and was having lunch in our living room. I had appointed Angela to take both outside. As she began to do her duty, Benjamin sounded his warning about disease. We both smiled as our “in house” six-year-old was giving us a warning as if he were an expert.

Well, he was (sort of), but from "the falling side" of things... for he had heard numerous times - "Benjamin, DO NOT TOUCH THAT!!!!”; “Benjamin, go wash your hands, right now!” etc etc. 

He was an experienced "faller"! The knowledge he gained had come from the "falling side" of the issue.

I was encouraged to hear that instead of being the one to pick up something without thinking, at least he was thinking first. Apparently he had been listening after all.

The question I ask myself is "am I falling forward”?

Are my failures “stepping” stones that lead me to the Father?

Falling only becomes a blessing when we learn from it, not wallow in it. 

Beauty for ashes comes only after we have received the discipline, never while we resent it. Embracing the grace of discipline is how we experience the harvest of righteousness and the great peace promised to those who have been trained by our Heavenly Father's loving correction.

Falling forward

Not looking back

My steps onward

In You, no lack

Help me see Lord

The grace I find

In looking forward

Not falling back

A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart." ~Charles Finney

My Utmost For His Highest 

by Oswald Chambers

(emphasis mine)

"Because you have kept My command to persevere . . ." —Revelation 3:10

Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end. 

A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, “I can’t take any more.” Yet God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. 

Entrust yourself to God’s hands. Is there something in your life for which you need perseverance right now? Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. 

Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life— throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.

God ventured His all in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture our all with total abandoned confidence in Him. There are areas in our lives where that faith has not worked in us as yet— places still untouched by the life of God. 

There were none of those places in Jesus Christ’s life, and there are to be none in ours. Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). 

The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we will take this view, life will become one great romance— a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.