Stumbling into His arms
It was cold. It was Paris. It was forty years ago. I recall the details vividly because my camera preserved the elderly couple on film. Their black-and-white image first emerged in my darkroom in the late 1960s. The image hasn’t faded, & neither has its power to evoke memories of Paris & my encounter long ago. The old man & woman sat on a sidewalk bench where their faces caught the sun. They leaned into one another for support & warmth. Their clothes indicated they were part of the lower economic class. Their faces indicated a long & hard life. I considered their ages & guessed they had experienced two world wars.
Perhaps she had watched Nazis march down small rustic streets while he endured skirmishes on some battlefield. They were utterly alone & oblivious to passersby, who were equally as oblivious to them. When they slowly stirred to leave, they rose with great difficulty. Each helped the other break loose from their rest, stand up, & take tentative steps into a swirl of indifferent pedestrians. They shuffled off, reliant on each other’s support. A fragile companion wasn’t much to lean on, but it was all either of them seemed to have. Now that I am old enough to detect the first signs of my physical unsteadiness, I think about what & whom I can lean on. In times of distress, when I feel alone, or when I stumble, no support is more steadfast or more comforting than Jesus Christ. Even in my daily walk, his welcoming arms are there to comfort & shield me.
That was the story of an old couple in Paris. Though they were feeble they knew they could depend on each other to be there for support. They relied on each other to help when it was needed. How can we apply the same lesson this couple showed? There are times when we need help. The author of the devotional said he was reaching the age when he detected the first signs of unsteadiness. I might not be as old as the author, or the couple in the story, but there are times when I am unsteady & in need of support to lean on. I find that support in this cane.
This cane gives me the physical support I need to move through life. I can see that some of you need support or something to lean on as well. I am very grateful to have the help this cane gives me in my physical life.
I have the physical support from the cane. I also need support in my spiritual life. There are many stumbling blocks that the Devil sets out there hoping to tempt us & cause us to walk off the righteous path of God & fall into his clutches. Satan knows what our weaknesses are & he tempts us in those areas. We should be aware that these are out there but we should not be afraid of them. We don't need to fear them because God gave us the spiritual support we need to lean on in our Savior Jesus Christ. It's been said that the Bible has 365 verses that tell us to “fear not”. Not a day goes by that the Lord's help & protection is not with us. Fear not. Isaiah 41:10 tells us “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God will strengthen us, help us, & hold us in His right hand. When we feel weak we can lean on His mighty strength. His arms are always open to His children.
The Bible gives many accounts of people relying on Christ's help to get through the struggles of life. Without His protection & help we would fall victim to the powers of the world.
The author that wrote Psalm 94, most likely David, put it beautifully when he wrote, “17Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. 18 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” (Psalm 94:17-19)
When we need spiritual support all we have to do is cry out to God & He will respond at the right time. When we become part of the family of God the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our heart. God is with us always & He is only a prayer away.
Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, you sent your Son Jesus to right a fallen world & to lift up those who would believe. Teach us to cling to your unfailing love, even as our steps sometimes falter. Lead us into Christ & into his everlasting arms. We know that if we believe & have faith in Him & His powers we will never fall. Christ is the One we know will be with us at all times. And we know His loving power is the one force that will never fail us. Never! For it's in His mighty Name we pray. Amen
