Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God.” (NIV)

I’m not sure how old I was when my grandfather gave me the name, but I’m beginning to believe his prophecy marked me.

I didn’t grow up so poor that I only had shoes in the winter and went shoeless the rest of the time. But I did love to walk around barefooted as long as there were no prickly weeds around.

My maternal grandparent’s home had a wraparound porch, but Pappy wasn’t much on repairs so the boards were often rough from wear and need of paint. All factors making it easy to stump a toe.

Forty years later I still haven’t learned to walk without the occasional stump. Admittedly, our home is littered with multiple pieces of furniture, yet the culprits are not the pieces that sit close to my corridor but the ones that seem to be far off the beaten path. So when I stump my toe, I wonder, “Now exactly how did I run into that piece of furniture?” And since I weigh more now than when I was a child, the force of the impact causes greater pain.

Unfortunately, furniture is not the only thing I’ve stumped my toe on. I’ve bumped into anger, impatience, gossip, addictions, misplaced priorities, idol worship, debt, disobedience, and a host of other random pieces of furniture.

Though I walk straighter now than I once did, occasionally my foot finds a place off the straight and narrow, and God lets me stump my toe. He also allows me to feel some painful consequences so I won’t have the desire to walk there again.

Of course the good news is in the verse. No matter how much I stump my toe, God won’t stop loving me. Nothing can separate me from his love.

When we make mistakes and Satan brings them before God in an attempt to discredit our usability and identity, God always replies, “Evidence inadmissible.”

Prayer: Father, when the world’s enticements cause us to stump our toes, lead us back on track and remind us You will never remove Your love.

Martin Wiles mandmwiles@homesc.com
Harleyville, South Carolina, USA
www.morningliteministry.com