One step forward, two steps back. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. You feel like you’re growing and that real change is happening. Maybe you have just experienced some great spiritual victory and the next thing you know, you have failed God miserably. Maybe you even feel like giving up. Ever been there? What do we need to remember when we experience those feelings of failure?
Today’s Readings:
1 Samuel 26 & 27
Psalm 60.6-12
Proverbs 16.4-5
John 2.1-25
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.
The Christian Two-Step: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
1 Samuel 26 & 27:
Foolish Solutions
If you’ve been reading along, you know that God had declared that He would remove the kingdom from Saul, Israel’s first king. His sinful responses and growing paranoia simply confirmed God’s reasons. Much of that anger and paranoia was directed at David.
In yesterday’s reading, Saul was repentant and had given up trying to kill David. But now in chapter 26, he’s at it again.
David, on the other hand, despite God’s continuing faithfulness, had started to believe the worse. Instead of being encouraged, he decided that sooner or later Saul would probably kill him. So he resorted to his own foolish solution, going into enemy territory where he knew Saul wouldn’t go. But as the story unfolds we’ll see that it only leads to more problems.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
God had protected and delivered David repeatedly. And David had responded well to many of the trials and temptations, including an opportunity to take matters into his own hand by killing Saul. But this time, he failed miserably. One step forward, two steps back.
Have you ever felt like that’s the story of your life? I know I have. We may know intellectually that God’s way is the right way, but when it goes against our feelings, feelings sometimes win out. I call it the Christian two-step!
Our Own Christian Two-Steps
We know, for example, that Matthew 5.23-24 says we aren’t to hypocritically worship God while we ignore issues with family members or our brothers and sisters-in-Christ. But instead of seeking reconciliation, we avoid people, move to a different church, gossip, or pretend things are fine.
Or we know we’re playing with fire when we flirt with a co-worker or scan the internet for that old “friend,” but we’re so tired of feeling unappreciated. And it seems so harmless, and besides, we think, “I can handle it!”
Or maybe we’ve heard our share of teaching about confronting a sinning brother or sister, but it’s just too hard! And besides, “Who am I to judge?”
Or we hear a good sermon on discipleship or prayer or growing in the Word and we decide, “I’m going to read my Bible more,” or “I’m going to spend more time praying,” or “I’m going to finish that Bible study I started.” Then the alarm goes off and another 30 minutes of sleep wins out.
One step forward, two steps back.
God’s Grace is Sufficient
Like David, when the struggles keep coming or we think we’ve failed God again, we’re often tempted to give up and think things will never change or we’ll never get it.
But it doesn’t matter how many times we have fallen or how many steps backward we’ve taken. We need to remember that God’s grace is sufficient (2 Cor. 12.9) and His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3.22-23). We, also, need to remember the cross. As Elyse Fitzpatrick says, “It’s for this that Christ died.” The cross would not have been necessary if we could do this perfectly. And God doesn’t love us any less when we fail or any more when we think we’re doing great. He loves us because we are His.
So what is it you need to do? Is there a relationship you need to reconcile? A habit you need to put off and something you need to put on in its place? Why not ask God for the grace you need and step forward … one step at a time! And when you fail … and we all do at times … we must go back to the cross and remember that God’s grace and forgiveness are always available for His children.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 60.6-12:
Through God Alone
Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies (v. 12).
We need to be reminded over and over, just like David, that true victory comes only from the Lord. As we take those steps of faith, one by one, He brings change and victory.
Proverbs 16.4-5:
Even the Wicked
The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom (v. 4).
One day everyone will bow their knee and bring glory to God, even the wicked on the day of judgment when the justice of God is demonstrated.
John 2.1-25:
Water into Wine
The wedding in Cana is one of my favorite stories. Did you notice that it was the servants who got to see the miracle? Often when counseling or discipling and when God allows me to see the change taking place in someone’s life, I feel like one of the servants at that wedding, drawing out the water and getting to watch Jesus turn it into wine!
Yet, sometimes when we have an opportunity to share the gospel, encourage someone in the Lord, or gently reprove a sinning friend, we hold back out of fear. It might be fear of rejection or fear of failure. While we do need to do our best to understand the Scriptures and learn to share them well, we need to remember that we can only be faithful. We’re merely servants. Only Jesus can turn the water of His Word into wine.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll look at so-called white magic, what it means to resist the devil, what to do when you’re at your wits’ end, and how to respond to imperfect authority.
I hope you’ll join us and if this post spoke to you, please share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
What Is Your Plan to Grow Spiritually This Year?
I hope you’re reading through the Bible with me or you have another reading plan in place. If not, you can sign up for my daily email or subscribe here for the YouTube version.
Following along with me can help you stay on track. And I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.
Another way that we grow in our Bible knowledge and our ability to share our faith is through discipleship. I’ve linked our latest discipleship lesson, today’s Bible in a Year video, and the first lesson in a course my husband is teaching on YouTube called “Self-Confrontation.” If you’re not familiar with it, consider checking it out. It was life-changing for us when we first took the course 25 years ago, and it continues to impact our lives.
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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