Lutheran Devotional 18th August 2025, Monday Message
TOPIC: Steady
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Psalm 121:2-4 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
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2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
It is very easy to trip and fall. At one time or another, it is an experience that we have all known, and probably more than once. Down we go, hopefully unhurt, but maybe with a quick glance around to see if anyone saw the embarrassing moment. Unsteady steps and more serious falls may happen due to injuries or aging. Sometimes the ground itself causes the fall—broken pavement, an uneven sidewalk, or a slippery surface. It does not take much to trip us up.
There are other things in life that threaten to knock us off balance, even if we manage to remain on our feet and physically upright. Unwelcome news, a frightening medical diagnosis, grief, or anxious fear are among the circumstances that may threaten to take us down. Life suddenly becomes unsteady and, even if our physical steps remain firm, our faith may be shaken. A stumble may also take a more serious form. Sometimes our steps wander from the Lord’s will. Believing we can keep ourselves steady, we choose to walk in our own ways instead of faithfully following our Savior. In His Word, God warns us about the dangers of such sinful pride: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). It is worth remembering that the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is often referred to as “the fall.”
Whatever circumstances or temptations cause us to stumble, we have help in dealing with our unsteady steps. The psalmist knows who keeps us upright: “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved.” God sent His Son to be our Savior, to raise us up from the fall into sin, a deadly fall in which we all share. In humble obedience to His Father’s will, Jesus followed the path that stretched out before Him. When the hour of His death drew near, the Savior walked with His firm and steady steps to Jerusalem. Condemned to die, He stumbled and fell beneath the weight of His cross. Lifted up on that cross, He suffered the penalty of death for our guilt, for our faithless stumbling, and for every one of our willful and wandering steps. On the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from death in triumph over sin, death, and Satan. By God’s grace, through faith in our crucified and risen Savior, our sins are forgiven. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we stand firm in faith. Our help comes from the Lord. Even though we may stumble, in love and grace He forgives our sins and lifts us up again.
WE PRAY: My God and Savior, forgive my sins and help me to stand firm through faith. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What is it that sometimes blindsides you?
- How does our pride trip us up when it comes to staying close to God?
- How can we protects ourselves from being caught off guard by certain temptations?
Today’s Readings:
