Slip Sliding Away

 “When I said, “My foot is slipping, “your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

Psalm 94:18-19 (NIV)

 

Snow skiing is loved by a large group of enthusiastic people. My youngest daughter is not one of them. Her experience on the slopes of Colorado convinced her that almost any sport is preferable to one that requires the participant to freeze, despite layer upon layer of clothing, and depend on flimsy poles and two slick “boards” as she called them to get her from point A to point B safely.

 

Having never snow skied before, she was initially excited to go on a winter vacation with her husband and her in-laws. Great care was taken to choose the right coordinated ski pants and jacket. Sunglasses were selected that would offer the best protection from the glare of the sun on the snow along with sunscreen and lip balm.

 

She was ready. She thought. Until she took her first skiing lesson. And slipped. And fell. And stood up. And slipped again. And . . . you get the picture. For about 30 minutes she was up and down in the snow until, with a great deal of effort and support from her husband, she was able to get to the top of a small hill.

 

During that time, her father-in-law was helping her mother-in-law stand upright after a hard fall. Successful at last, he turned to watch as my daughter began her descent down the slope, but his look of admiration quickly turned to one of panic as he realized that on her present path, she would make a direct hit on his wife. He was right.

 

My daughter said that to this day the trip downhill is still a blur but what she will forever remember is the look on her father-in-law’s face as he frantically tried to push his now-standing wife away from the path of his daughter-in-law’s out-of-control skis, poles, and body. He was not successful.

 

Can you picture the aftermath of the collision? Two women – in coordinated ski pants and jackets - laying in the snow, arms and legs wrapped around tangled-up skis and poles and accented with pieces of sunglasses. And two husbands standing over them, wondering how in the world they could have prevented the slipping, sliding accident from occurring. They could not.

 

I think that life is a lot like that skiing experience. We try and try to get up the slope. And there are a few times when we can make it and stand upright and feel successful. But there are many many other times when we slip and fall, barely get up, and fall again. That’s where David was in Psalm 94:18-19.

 

David probably never snow skied but he certainly knew what it was like to stand on the top of the hill as he was chosen by God to be the new king over Israel. He also knew the feeling of everything being out of control as King Saul tried to kill him.

 

What are you facing today that seems to knock you down and push and shove you as you try to get up? What is causing anxiety in your heart? What keeps you awake at night because there seems to be no clear answer?

 

Trust our Father who not only supports us when we start to fall but also keeps our feet from slipping. That was His promise to David. And that is His promise to us. Even on the ski slopes of life.  

 

Father, I praise you for listening when I call and for holding on to me when I cannot stand on my own. I praise you for your love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Think about a time in your life when you felt everything slipping and sliding from underneath you.
• What was your first reaction? Turning to the Creator or bracing for the crash?

 

Apply

• Call a prayer warrior friend, share your concerns, and ask her to lift you up in prayer.
• Memorize today’s power verses and thank the Lord for keeping your feet from slipping as He watches over you.

 

Power

• Psalm 94:18-19 (NIV) “When I said, “My foot is slipping, “your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”
• Psalm 121:3 (NIV) “He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber.”
• Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV) “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”