For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. Isaiah 3:8
Not paying attention and doing something one should not do can cause one to fall or stumble. In the process of stumbling, one can cause others to stumble if they are close enough together by bumping into each other during the stumble. While this can easily happen with a physical stumble, it happens even more easily with spiritual stumbles. The damage can be greater and more far reaching than a physical stumble.
Isaiah brings God’s judgement against Jerusalem and Judah because they have fallen due to their words and actions against God, provoking Him to anger.
It is often thought that each person can make their own personal decisions in life and not have it affect anyone else. It is their own personal life and choice, not anyone else’s choice.
Every action or word has an effect on someone else that sees or hears it. That effect will be either good or bad, leading them towards God or away from God.
Being blinded and deceived, many believers have chosen to purposefully step into the sinful ways of the world in what they say and do. They begin to stumble or fall into sin knocking other people down and dragging them into sin with them.
They are in a race to eternal life with God someday. If they stumble during that race by choosing to sin, they will cause others to stumble and fall away from God.
Believers need to be aware their every word and action is to be a reflection of God, pointing others to Jesus, not to this world’s way of doing things. Every believer is to walk, act and speak as Jesus did, holding others up.
The words and actions you do are heard and seen by other people. They will either lead them to Christ or away from Christ. Keep your focus upon God and His ways of living and speaking. Watch your every step so that you do not step into sin, stumble and cause others to stumble and fall. Do not bring your family, neighborhood or nation down because of your fallen actions and words.
Live for God and build others up. Hold others up in Christ and accomplish the will of God here upon this earth.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will reveal areas in your life in which you are stumbling or falling; that you will walk and speak in the ways of God; and that God will strengthen you to not cause others to stumble or fall.
Picture by Alexas Fotos on Unsplash
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