Today, I’d like to share yet another example of the Bible being a living document, and God being a personal God. A few days ago, my weaknesses were overwhelming me. I felt like my doubts, fears, wounds, were all too mighty as opponents. It felt like a battle I couldn’t win. So, I prayed my new favorite prayer, “Please God, show me what you want to show me, and allow me to see it. Amen.” And then I literally opened the Bible at random and picked up accidentally in Psalms.

Psalms 38 goes something like this…

“There is no soundness in my flesh…for my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh…”

That pretty much sums up how I was feeling at that exact moment in time. I stumbled backward by one page and read the back half of Psalms 37 next. Just to get some context into Psalms 38. Here’s what was waiting for me:

“The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

What a powerful visual! The enemy attacking, bows drawn, swords raised. And then those swords are driven back into them, and the bows are snapped. The passage goes on to say the “arms of the wicked shall be broken.”

It feels good to know that God laughs at my adversaries. But I did feel kind of puny and silly while reading. I mean, here I was for the hundredth time, all wrapped up in my weakness, getting laid on my back and becoming fearful and dejected, worrying about the enemy even as I brought the struggle to God. And He grins and says, “I’ve seen much worse. Pretty sure I can help you out here.” It’s so easy to forget how powerful and expansive my God truly is.

I ended my reading right after verses 23-24. This felt like an exclamation point for what God wanted to share with me that day. Those verses say, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

I immediately got a clear visual of helping my son learn to ride his bike a few weeks ago. For him, it was such an insurmountable hurdle, such an intimidating, daunting objective. The bike must have looked like a giant, menacing machine without those training wheels. But for me as his father, I knew it wasn’t going to be as hard as he thought. I’d been there. I’d seen much worse. This was an enemy that was no match for us. And though he started to fall several times. I was there with my hand, to help him down gracefully. To guide him back onto the bike to try to ride again.

We haven’t fully mastered the bike just yet, but that’s okay. We’ll get there. And so will I.