When I was a kid, we had for a brief time an inflatable punching doll around the house as a fun activity.
You’d punch Bozo in the nose and he would fall over. Immediately, he’d come right back up for more.
Why? Because the perimeter of the base for the 46″ inflatable doll was weighted with sand and gravity would pull the side of the base back down, lifting the head to the upright position. The photo below illustrates the design. If your email program blocks the picture, click here to see it listed on Amazon.com.
So why talk about Bozo this morning?
Consider this verse from Proverbs 24:16….
“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”
You and I have tripped spiritually far more than seven times. And we’ve been knocked down more times than we want to remember.
Trusting God for strength and wisdom, though, has helped us get back on our feet.
We might have less money afterwards. Or less physical capacity. Perhaps we have fewer friends.
But as long as we have the solid foundation of faith in Christ, we’ll always have help to get back to a spiritually upright position.
Yes, some in this world will treat us like Bozo the Clown.
But, like him, we’ll always be put back on our feet as long as we hold onto God’s hand.
Here is one of my favorite passages that reinforces our confidence in this promise:
“The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)
As always, I love you
Martin
