October 9, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Able to keep you from falling." — Jude 1:24 · KJV

In one sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in another there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties; one false step — and how easily we take it, if grace is absent — and down we go. What a slippery path some of us have to tread! How often we have to cry with the Psalmist, "My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped." If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, it would matter less; but in ourselves, how weak we are! On the best roads we soon falter, on the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight; a straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us. We are mere children, tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith; our heavenly Father holds us by the arms, or we would soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how we must bless the patient power that watches over us day by day! Think how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down — and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than ever, "Glory be to Him who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak; but besides this, enemies lie in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them and labor to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes who seek to destroy us — and such an arm is engaged for our defense. He is faithful that has promised, and He is able to keep us from falling; so that, with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say with joyful confidence: earth and hell combine against me, but on my side is power divine — Jesus is all, and He is mine!