The Word Will Be Your Rock or Stumbling Block!
Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Psalm 119:165
In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” If a man wants a clean-shaven face, he must shave daily. If he does not shave daily, his face will develop stubble. In our walk with God, we must deny ourselves daily and obey the Word of God. If we do not, we will stumble. We can desire to have a clean-shaven face all day, but if we do not actually shave we will not get it. We can desire to follow God the same way, but if we do not deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily, we will not follow Him. Desiring is not doing! In shaving we are cutting off the stubble that has risen up daily. In our Christian walk, we must deny ourselves daily by crucifying our flesh (Galatians 5:24). If we do not, we will give in to our desires and stumble.
If we obey the Word in every area of our lives, we can walk without stumbling in this world. Psalm 17:5 says, “My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not stumbled.” Psalm 119:165 says that nothing shall cause us to stumble if we love the Word. According to John 14:15, loving God is keeping or obeying His Word. If we choose to not honor the Word, then we fulfill Hosea 14:9. “The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” We can walk in the ways of the Lord on His path and not stumble. However, if we choose to get off God’s path, the Word will become a stumbling block. 1 Peter 2:8 says to the disobedient the Word becomes like, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” We must choose to walk stating that the Word of God is our rock (Psalm 18:2). If it is not our rock, it will become our stumbling block. This is not because God does not love us or is out to get us. It is because life-giving principles were set from the beginning based on God’s wisdom and He honors His word (Numbers 23:19). If we practice His Word we will have life. If we practice the way of our flesh or world we will stumble. Deny yourself, do the Word, and you will not stumble (2 Peter 1:10, John 11:9-10).
