“Poppi, don’t let me fall down!” my three-year-old grandson, Russell, pleaded as he sat in the swing which was so secure I could have sat in it and not fallen. Well, that’s not exactly correct. The chains could have held me. They were solid, thick metal. But no way I’d fit in the swing which is pre-formed for little people just his size or smaller. Regardless, there’s just no way he was going to fall or that I would let him fall.
Do we ever say that to God? Probably not in so many words, but we might sometimes wonder if He just might let us fall or forget about us. Oh, we’d never admit to such a ridiculous notion, but by our actions we are shouting it out. When we doubt; when we fret; when we worry over the various affairs in life we are, in essence saying—“God, I’m not quite sure you got this one. I feel like I’m in a free-fall. Are you going to catch me or not?”
Asaph claims that all things belong to God—from the rising of the sun to its setting, to cattle on a thousand hills, all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine (Psa. 50:1, 10–11). Jesus, rightly, identified the care that God gives to all that belong to Him—including the birds of the air that neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Then He compares them to us—Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? That should be enough for the argument, but Jesus continues talking about lilies and grass which is here today and gone tomorrow. If God clothes the fields in splendor which surpasses that of Solomon in all his glory, why in the world are we worried about our wardrobe that God provides?
“Don’t worry,” Jesus insists. “Relax. I’ve got this. Fact of the matter is, I’ve got the whole world in My hands. Write a song about it. Sing it. You’re going to be okay. I won’t let you fall.”
Ah, but there are times when He allows us to trip a little—when He lets us slip and maybe stumble—when He permits a non-crushing blow. These are there to strengthen us in body, mind and spirit. These are to build us up—make us strong.
Instead of accusing God for failing us, we need to respond as little Russell does when he stumbles and falls. After realizing there’s no blood or broken bones he weakly announces: “I’m okay, Poppi.” As he walks closer to me, the announcement is a bit bolder when he realizes that indeed, he is okay.
“God, You who knows all, knows when we are going through challenging times. You understand the bumps and bruises that come our way. You ordained the very actions that led to these in order to conform us to Your image. As we shake off the dust, help us to recognize Your continual care for us, to praise You, and thus declare with unwavering voice—‘I’m okay, Ababa Father, I’m okay!’”
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