Standing Up After the Fall

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"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name."   –Revelation 3:8

As he stepped into the gentlemen’s club the pounding music and flashing lights seduced him to proceed even though his heart and mind knew it wasn’t right.  As the summer drew to an end and their Senior year of college was about to start, he and his friends had decided that a night on the town was in order.  The independence of living on his own for the last few years had a dramatic impact on his life and he found himself frequently questioning the moral values that he had learned as a child.  He paid the cover charge and they stamped his hand with an embarrassing image of a naked woman’s silhouette.  He stared at it for a second, questioning what his fiancée might think if she knew he was here.  He faked a smile and followed his friends into the darkness….

We’ve all been in that situation where we know something is wrong, but we push forward and do it anyway.  Sometimes we proceed because we don’t want to be embarrassed in front of friends, sometimes because of curiosity or sometimes with rebellious intentions.  There is that brief moment when we check it against our moral compass it’s in that moment where we need to decide how it aligns with God’s plan and righteousness.  I have found myself in similar situations and asked one simple question; “If Jesus were with me, would I continue down this path?”

This scripture clearly states that God knows of your actions and whether they are aligned to His plan and purpose for you.  It also states that God recognizes your emotional and physical condition “…you have little strength.”   He promises to provide you the strength you need in these circumstances.  The strength of the Holy Spirit, within, reminds you when you are in His will and the righteousness therein and when you’re not.  The door which exists between you and Christ is always open and His grace is always accessible.  Even in these circumstances, where you are weak in your faith.  This open door represents great opportunities for you to continue sharing His word and love.  The fact that this is a door that cannot be shut, clearly tells us that it is very important, such that even Satan and his demons cannot shut it.

Do you realize the impact of this statement?  God’s got your back.  He knows the struggles we face as fallen humans and what life has in store for each of us.  Trials will come, and we will be tempted, but by staying in His word and continuing to grow in our love and understanding we become strong enough to endure.  When we are about the business of doing His work, there is little time for Satan to throw obstacles in your way.  If those around you resent or ridicule your actions, remember– your work is for the Lord not for man

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© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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