Now Unto Him That Is Able.....

(If you haven't been able to tell, I like to dig through old photos
and post some not-so-recent ones - that is what I am doing today!)

~Don't worry Son! Daddy will keep you from falling!~

Jude 1:24-25

Now unto Him That is able to keep you from falling,

and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,

dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

How many times have you heard the above verses said at the end of a Sunday service? I have heard it often.

Have you ever really meditated on that first phrase of verse 24? Now unto Him That is able to keep you from falling.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about different ways that I think possibly God has been keeping me and my family from falling. Things I've been trying in my own human effort to accomplish, and it just isn't working out for whatever reason.

Perhaps, just maybe, my loving Father, is not letting these things happen, just for the very reason this verse talks about - He is keeping me from falling - falling away from Him, and falling into sin.

~Looks like someone here is not worried about falling!~

I'll give you two recent examples:

First, I have volunteered several times to help in whatever way I can with our MOPS group at our church. Even when they seem desperate for help (as so often ministries unfortunately are), everything gets filled up without my help. God is helping me quickly see that by taking on this ministry, I will most likely be taking on too much (as I did as a brand new mama), and it will only take precious time away from Him and my family - my two top priorities.

Perhaps, just maybe, He is keeping me from falling in this area.

Second, if you've read here long enough, you know our internal (or not so internal) struggle with the television. Thankfully satellite TV (at least our provider) makes it easy to put on hold without additional charge - however, in a matter of minutes, we can put it back on. We put our TV service on hold in August, and were richly blessed by that, and always have been when we've done this in the past. However, after Labor Day, we requested the service to be reinstated. We thought that for certain, the answer to our TV "problems" was to pay extra for DVR service (where you can record shows). Can I tell you to get this service has been the most difficult home-ownership experience I've faced in a very, very long time! Very frustrating - you would think they would want our business. Over the last nearly two months, I've experienced aggravation at times, but now, instead of aggravation, the Lord is helping me realize that this may not be what is best for our family.

Perhaps, just maybe, He is keeping us from falling in this area.

~Your big strong brother will keep you from falling!~

Both of these situations are ones that are not in of themselves bad, right?

Doing work for the Lord is a good thing, right?

TV when managed and put in its proper place (and when only shows that are edifying to the Lord are watched) is fine, right?

When the Lord has something else in mind for you though, to do anything else would be falling away from Him, right?

In general, we only watch TV that would be acceptable for even our children to watch. But the temptation is there, very great in fact, and ever so often, I will stop for a while on a raunchy show like a certain sitcom that comes on 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings. I never feel closer to my Father after watching shows like that. Never.

So, perhaps, just maybe, my Father is keeping me (keeping us) from falling in these areas.

I don't want to fall away from Him. I want to walk closely, very closely, with my Father. I want my husband and children to see the same thing at home, behind these closed doors that they see when we go to church, or run into our Pastor in a restaurant. I don't want to be a frazzled, grumpy, and very sinful mama, who is up to date on the latest talk and reality shows, but hasn't spent any time with the Lord, my husband or my children (yes I've been this mama before :( Thankfully the Lord, the Lord ALONE has helped me come a long way since a few years ago, all glory to Him alone). I don't want to be that way, yet when we walk in the church doors, have a fake-plastered smile as if my life with God and my family is just fine. I don't believe that is what a woman looks like who is truly walking closely with the Father and isn't fallen away from Him.

~~Thank You Jesus for all the times You keep me from falling when I don't even realize it. Help me to listen keenly to Your quiet ways, through Your Words, and such. I love You and its for Your glory alone. Thank You Jesus, thank You!~~

~Don't worry baby girl! Mama will keep you from falling!~

Jude 1:24-25
Now unto Him That is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.