Get Up

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:23-24; 1 John 1:8-9

Alannah pulled on her ice skates and grinned at her aunt. “I’m ready to learn to skate, Aunt Rachel.” Her aunt smiled, took Alannah’s hands, and pulled her to her feet. As they started across the ice, Alannah wobbled back and forth, trying to keep her balance. “Whoa!” she exclaimed. She gripped Aunt Rachel’s arm.

After a few laps, Alannah loosened her grip and let go. “Nothing to this skating thing,” she declared with a laugh. As she spoke, she lost her balance and crashed to the ice. “Ouch! I guess I can’t skate after all,” she moaned.

Aunt Rachel pulled Alannah to her feet again. “Sure you can. When you fall, you just have to get up and keep skating.”

“Do you ever fall?” asked Alannah.

“Oh yes—even though I’ve skated for many years,” Aunt Rachel said as she helped Alannah to a bench. After resting a few minutes, Alannah was ready to try again.

A few days later, Alannah walked to her aunt’s house after school to wait for her mom to pick her up. “How’s it going?” asked Aunt Rachel. “Did you fall down today?”

Alannah grinned. “Nope, but I haven’t been skating today.”

“No, but there are more serious ways we can fall,” said Aunt Rachel.

“Like?” asked Alannah.

“Well, I was just working on the lesson I’m teaching on Sunday, and it points out that when we sin, it’s like falling down,” said Aunt Rachel. “I’ve been a Christian for many years, but I still fall down when I do wrong things like tell a lie, lose my temper, or gossip. Tell me, Alannah—what do we have to do when we fall down?”

“Get up again,” Alannah replied. “You taught me that when we were skating.”

Aunt Rachel nodded. “I was there to help you get up when you fell on the ice. Who helps us get up when we sin?”

“Um…Jesus does,” said Alannah.

“You got it,” said Aunt Rachel. “He saved us from sin, and He is always there to help us up when we fall. He wants us to confess our wrongs to Him and accept forgiveness. Then He teaches us lessons from the tumbles.”

-Lovella Daoust

How About You?

Can you think of times—perhaps even today—when you’ve fallen down? We all fall down by doing wrong things, even Christians. But when we fall, Jesus promises to help us back up. You should feel sorry for the wrong things you’ve done, but when you’ve confessed your failures to Jesus, accept His forgiveness. Then look to Him for strength to move on in your life.

Today’s Key Verse: 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Accept God’s forgiveness and move on