"Stumble"

My old pony had a stumble,

Coming down a real steep place,

He kept on a-goin’,

And soon regained his pace.

He’s a darn sure-footed pony,

Only once or twice gone down,

This was just a little stumble,

Whilst making our big round.

I thought how I have stumbled,

Along life’s rocky path,

I thought of times I’ve fallen,

And wondered if God’s wrath,

Would somehow be the end result,

Of what I’ve said and done,

He’d judge me and reject me,

When my race soon gets run.

No sooner that I thought it,

It occurred to me,

That though my horse has stumbled,

He’s still my favorite, see.

And I do not reject him,

Just ‘cause of times he fell,

I still want to keep him,

I do not want to sell.

The Lord said in a small way,

I hope you understand,

That though you’re far from perfect,

Your life is in my hand.

I love you and won’t judge you,

My Son has paid your price,

For every single stumble,

My grace for you suffice.

And when I see you stumble,

I’ll steady you along,

And when you fall and hit the ground,

Forgive and right the wrong.

So when you make your circle,

And the trail gets rough and steep,

My grace is there to help you,

So do your best to keep,

Your gaze on looking forward,

Yes, focus on the prize,

I am right beside you,

You’re special in My eyes.

“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you…” (Proverbs 4:25, NLT)

Focus is a huge component of anyone’s success. If we lack focus as believers in Jesus Christ, we will easily be distracted by the noisy sales pitch of the world. You’ve probably heard the story of the little girl whose mother offered to buy her one toy of her choosing, but only one. She had a hard time deciding, but finally chose a doll she liked. When they turned to go to the check-out counter, the little girl asked her mother to blind-fold her so she wouldn’t be distracted by other choices! Jesus spoke of seeking God’s kingdom as our highest priority, and not allowing worry to torment us. Simon was able to walk on the waves as long as he focused on Jesus. Paul talked about forgetting the past and pressing on to win the heavenly prize. The writer of Hebrews encourages looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Focus can keep us on track, and if we stumble or fall, help us to recover quickly. Fix your eyes…

Lord, help us to stay focused on You and all that really matters, in Jesus’ name.