for though the"); document.writeln("righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when"); document.writeln("calamity strikes. Do not gloat when your enemy falls, when"); document.writeln("they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,1
"); document.writeln("At"); document.writeln("the 1998 Winter Olympics, elegant and graceful, Michelle Kwan was favored to"); document.writeln("win the gold medal in the women\'€™s figure skating competition. But Tara Lipinski"); document.writeln("exploded onto the ice in a brilliant performance that gave her the gold"); document.writeln("instead! Later, in an interview, a TV reporter asked Michelle, \'€œHow did it feel"); document.writeln("to lose the Olympics?\'€ Michelle looked at her in astonishment and said, \'€œI"); document.writeln("did not lose. I won the silver.\'€ Throughout her career, she showed perseverance,"); document.writeln("dedication, and grace under pressure. Michelle once shared that as a beginner,"); document.writeln("her coach told her that learning to skate was about falling. As a world"); document.writeln("champion, she still fell often, but had the conviction that it is okay to fall"); document.writeln("sometimes, the important thing is to get back up to keep going.
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A"); document.writeln("faithful Christian is not someone that never falls. A faithful Christian will"); document.writeln("fall and get back up again, trusting in God for the strength to continue and to"); document.writeln("finish strong. We have several examples in the Bible: Moses killed someone and"); document.writeln("fled to hide out in the wilderness for 40 years, hoping it would be forgotten,"); document.writeln("but God did not forget and called him back anyway to use him to lead His people."); document.writeln("David, too, fell pretty hard when he committed adultery and also murder. After"); document.writeln("deeply repenting, God restored their relationship. Jonah just ran away from the calling of God, ran until he fell, right into the ocean and the waiting belly of"); document.writeln("a great fish. But our merciful God gave him a second chance to get up and try"); document.writeln("again. These men and many more are considered winners in the Bible. They may"); document.writeln("have gotten a silver medal, but in the end they still stood in the winners"); document.writeln("circle.
"); document.writeln("You"); document.writeln("may be feeling as though you have fallen too many times and that your sin is too"); document.writeln("great. God is still rooting for you and He is extending His mighty hand to help"); document.writeln("you back up. Maybe you are in the audience watching from the sidelines. The"); document.writeln("cheers from fellow believers are powerful encouragement to those who have stumbled."); document.writeln("Let us pray for and cheer them on. God can do great things through both of us!
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Suggested"); document.writeln("prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the Biblical examples of those that served you"); document.writeln("faithfully even though they stumbled or fell. I ask for the strength to get"); document.writeln("back up when I fall, the will to keep going, and the conviction to follow you"); document.writeln("no matter what. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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1. Proverbs 24:16-17 (NIV).
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Today\'€™s"); document.writeln("Encounter was written by: Veronica B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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