The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Walking With Me" for Monday, 6 February 2017 with Scripture Psalm 37:25-29

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Walking With Me" for Monday, 6 February 2017 with Scripture Psalm 37:25 I have been young; now I am old;
yet not once have I seen the righteous abandoned
or his descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long he is generous and lends,
and his descendants are blessed.
27 If you turn from evil and do good,
you will live safely forever.
28 For Adonai loves justice
and will not abandon his faithful;
they are preserved forever.
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and live in it forever.
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Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand.[Psalm 37:23-24 (NRSV)]
My husband and I are enjoying watching our 11-month-old son, Adam, learn to walk. Every day, we take him by the hand, lift him up, and guide him as he takes a few cautious steps. We are always careful to direct him toward a safe destination, making sure that he does not run into cabinets and sharp table corners. I remember that the first time Adam stumbled and fell, he looked up at us as if to say, “Why did you let me fall?” We simply smiled reassuringly at him and reached down to help him up. Then he happily continued to toddle as if nothing had happened.
For me, this experience is similar to the way our heavenly Father guides us. When something bad happens to me, I’ve often questioned, “Father, why did you let me fall?” But every time, God reassures me. God is always there — stretching out a hand, waiting to lift me up to continue my journey. God never promised that we wouldn’t face trials or even stumble at times, but God did promise never to stop guiding us. With that promise, we can continue to live in confidence as God directs us.
Read more from the author, here.

"More from LaTonika Blackmon"

The bouncing baby boy, Adam, that I wrote about in my devotional is now walking, saying full sentences, and rapidly becoming a sports fan (thanks to his daddy).
We’ve had our struggles as new parents. The first year of his life, Adam was in and out of the hospital due to cow milk allergies, asthma, and dangerously high fevers that would almost place him in a lethargic state. During that time, my husband and I had to rely on each other, but more importantly, we had to rely on God to give us strength to make the best decision about how to care for our son.
Fear and doubt constantly clouded our minds, but even though those things sometimes got the best of us, we started to notice that nothing stopped Adam. He has always been such a strong little boy. Our family has nicknamed him Samson because of his strength and the long hair he had as a baby. Adam was determined to overcome anything that stood in his way--fevers, asthma attacks, and allergic reactions. When he learned how to walk, he would outrun his playmates; when he learned to throw a ball, he was determined to throw the furthest. When I was concerned that he was playing too hard, he would insist on playing even harder. What looked like obstacles for mommy and daddy were nothing for Adam because there was never a doubt in his mind that he could do what everyone else did.
Fear and doubt still creep in my mind, and as a mother I will always worry. But we’ve stopped placing limits on Adam, because we know that with Christ there is nothing Adam can’t overcome.[LaTonika Blackmon]

See pictures of LaTonika with her family, here.

"Link2Life for February 6, 2017"

LaTonika with her family.

The Author: LaTonika Blackmon (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: Whenever I stumble, God will lift me up.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for directing our steps, lifting us up when we fall, and placing us back on the right path. Amen.
Prayer focus: Parents of toddlers

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