When I Feel Like I'm Slipping

Dear Friends,

When our children were much younger we took them to Euro Disney for a few days. We stayed in onsite accommodation which had one bedroom and a bathroom. The children had bunk beds and Josh was very excited at getting to sleep in the top bunk.

One night we were all woken up by Jess crying out, "I'm lippin... ('slipping') I'm lippin...I'm lippin..." In her half-awake state she was aware that she was falling out of bed and that she was in need of some help.

When I feel like I'm
slipping

Has there ever been a time in your Christian life when you've felt yourself slipping? The ground you were standing on had once felt so firm and secure, so certain. But not now, something happened and the ground beneath doesn't feel quite so stable.  Perhaps you came across a bump in the road which caused you trip, or you lost your footing, or the weight you were carrying overbalanced you. Maybe it felt as though someone had pulled the rug from under you and you found yourself falling, unable to do anything to stop it.   

I was in that place a while back. I had questions, concerns, life was hard and my faith seemed weak. It wasn't that I had completely lost my faith, it just seemed weaker.  I struggled to keep upright and I felt like I was slipping. I had family members around me as well as good friends, and yet, inexplicably, at the same time I felt like I was on my own.

We can experience all manner of things which may cause us to slip. A crisis in the family, problems at work, health issues, plans that haven't worked out, doubts etc. Maybe something happens and we find ourselves slipping back into an old unhealthy mindset or returning to habits that are not so good for us. Perhaps past hurts and offences resurface, causing us to experience the pain all over again and making us believe that we just can't escape our past.

Then God directed me to the following verses written by the Psalmist:

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 94:18-19 (NLT)

Always I come back to God's Word for encouragement, and perhaps these verses are what you really need today.

Let's look at what we can learn from these verses:

1. The psalmist was facing troubles and he too felt like he was slipping. It caused him to cry out to God. He knew he wasn't able to help himself. In humility he cried out to God. He knew he was in need of help, and not just help from anyone, it was God's help he needed. 

Even when I feel alone, I am not alone because God is with me. All I need to do is cry out to him for help, he will steady me, he will help me to keep standing, despite what is happening around me. I need the humility to go to God for help, knowing I can't help myself.

2. God supported the psalmist with his unfailing love.

God faithfully loves you and me. He never lets me down. There is support and strength for each day when I remember God's unfailing love for me. When I focus on his love for me the ground beneath my feet is firm and secure.  God is right there beside me, ready at a moment's notice to give me support as soon as I ask for it.

3. The psalmist experienced doubts because of his troubles. They filled his mind.

It's so easy to allow doubts, worries, anxieties, negative thinking, fears etc to crowd our minds when we focus on our problems and troubles. On the surface we may seem like we have it all together, but within, it may be another matter. And God sees and knows this.

4. God didn't criticise the psalmist for feeling this way. Instead God offered him comfort which renewed his hope and joy.

I can be honest with God, I can express my feelings with confidence that he won't judge me, but will give me the comfort that only he can give. His comforting presence sustains me through everything. When I experience his loving comfort, then I also receive from him renewed hope and joy. 

This means that in the midst of those difficult, trying times we can still know the hope and joy that comes from God alone. But I think it all starts with crying out to him as this allows him room to meet our need and be our help.

To Think About:
What do you think God may want to say to you about the verses we have looked at today? 

Are you in a situation right now in which you feel like you're slipping? What is making you feel that way? Will you cry out to God for help?

Have there been times when you have experienced God's unfailing love supporting you or known his comfort bringing you renewed hope and joy?

Vicki

If  what you read was of interest to you, then you may like to know that my book "Dear Friend...52 Weekly Devotions to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire" is available to buy from Amazon. (Its content is material adapted from previous blog posts.) To learn more, click on the link below: 

Dear Friend...

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