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Caught Slippin’

Updated: Feb 12, 2020


Original Devotional Date: 11/23/11

This one is kinda long, but worth the read, I think; I know it is for me!

Prayer: Psalm 119: 33-40

Scripture: Psalm 73:2-3

“There were so many people out there. Scattered all around the side of this giant rock formation; folks were climbing for the prize. Some are frantically jumping from one position to another doing everything they can to get ahead; others are steadily moving with seemingly fluid and effortless motions; and still others are struggling from foothold to foothold using every bit of strength and skill they have, putting in the hard work to get to the top. Asaph is one of those hard-working climbers that have to struggle for each foothold, and ahead of him are many other climbers. But, this is exactly how it is every year. The annual Climbers Association of Arizona Rock Climbing Championship brings the country’s best climbers. Some do it just for the love of the sport, some do it because they love the challenge, and then some are all about winning no matter the cost.

So at first, Asaph is focused on his ascent. He works diligently finding his next foothold and improving upon his position with hard work following a set technique that has proven to work for him, if he follows the steps correctly. But then Asaph is distracted; he can hear some of the folks above him on the rock formation shouting, others complaining, and then he sees one of the leaders in the race fall down past him. As they fall he notices they’re no longer attached to their harness and he looks up wondering what happened. As he looks up he sees the ‘Malcolm X’ (by any means necessary) competitors sabotaging others’ equipment to get ahead. He sees others of the Malcolm X competitors going to the extreme of knocking people off the course, not caring for their safety; thankfully there were several giant airbags below, like you would see on the set of an action movie. Still, Asaph begins to worry, not only about whether they will sabotage his journey or his safety, but he worries because he sees them getting ahead. He wonders if he should change his technique to that of his cut-throat counterparts because they seem to be achieving exactly what he wants: They’re winning! As all of these thoughts permeate the recesses of Asaph’s mind he’s been paying no attention to his own positioning. But, just as his foot begins to slip from his foothold, he snaps back to reality and catches himself slipping. He resets his foot and continues his diligent ascent.”

My study today (11/23/11)  is from Psalm 73. While there are many important things to grasp in this text the main message is to not get caught up in what the ‘wicked’ or ‘evil’ are doing and how they are ‘prospering’ because all of their ‘prosperity’ will fade away. But immediately as I set into reading this scripture the verses that spoke to me were vv. 2-3. The writer (Asaph) says:

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” –Psalm 73:2-3

Asaph’s use of the words ‘slipped’ and ‘foothold’ in this passage immediately made me think of rock climbing; prompting the image above. Now,  I’m not a rock-climber by any (tap your neighbor and say, ‘ANY!’  LOL) stretch of the imagination so I googled some information on rock-climbing and found that:

  1. Rock climbing is a sport in which people climb up, down or across natural rock formations or rock walls. Often, in a rock-climbing race, the goal is to reach the summit or the end of a pre-defined route first and/or without falling.

  2. Rock climbing is both, a physically and mentally challenging sport; it tests strength, endurance, agility and balance as well as mental control.

  3. There are many, many different styles of rock-climbing.

  4. Focus is key during climbing. Just a slight shift in focus can spell success or failure for a climber

With these things in mind, I continued to research rock-climbing and found several training methods. One in particular sparked my interest and triggered some very powerful spiritual analogies.

1.   Second eyes: Ask a knowledgeable climbing partner(s) to watch you execute a specific movement you’re having trouble with; ask them what it looks like you should be doing (to correct yourself). Then, keep this advice in mind when you execute this movement in the future.

  1. In other words, get an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER or partners. Folks who are knowledgeable about a relationship with Christ and can pray with you to find out from God what you should be doing. In other words they and you are not to be so focused on where God is taking you, but rather seeking God for what you are supposed to do in any given situation/circumstance (or any given season of life). Be concerned about your actions pleasing God, don’t be concerned with your surroundings.

2.   Weight off: Start by getting into the position from which you start the move. Have a partner take some weight off by either giving some rope tension, or, if bouldering, pushing on your lower back (a “diet”).

“Start off by getting into the position from which you will start the move.”

  1. For us as believers, we shouldn’t be making any moves without consulting God, even the small moves! So, our starting position should always be that of prayer! And again, take note that you are encouraged to have a partner that can “take some weight off”. In other words, get an accountability partner that you know will agree with you in prayer and will pray until something happens [P.U.S.H.]; this will alleviate some of the weight from your shoulders by sharing this task with a like-minded believer. Remember we are called to relationship with God, as well as relationships with other believers.

  2. Also, notice that the partner can either give rope tension or push your lower back for support. It’s the same with accountability partners, sometimes they will be led by God to provide some tension, by calling you out in your sin (but always speaking the truth in love); but sometimes, God will lead them to just be a helping hand giving you a little push from behind, for support.

3.   Break it down: Move slowly through the move with assistance, paying attention to the body positions and effort/contributions from various body parts required to execute the move successfully.

  1. Be careful not to try to rush through what God is calling you to (in this season) just because you don’t like it. Although, you want to get it over with ASAP,  Take your time, being sure not to miss even 1 step of the journey God has you on. Don’t discount the journey for the sake of getting to the “destination.”

  2. Again, this step calls you to move “with assistance.” This assistance will come from both God and your accountability partner(s).

  3. When we don’t rush through the journey we can take note of all of our spiritual muscles that are being exercised in this particular season of life. And because God didn’t just say “here, take this extra joy, faith, peace, etc.”, and we actually had to work to gain this spiritual muscle capacity; we’ll more easily be able to call on those muscles when (not if)  we approach trouble in our next phase of the journey because it’s hard to forget what you’ve had to experience for yourself!

4.   Experiment: See what happens if you actually direct your focus on particular portions of the move with conscious, internal commands to the body parts in question. These might include telling your hand, “Pinch, pinch, pinch;” telling yourself to “breathe and relax;” commanding your core to tighten; or focusing on pushing harder with your feet and legs, among others.

  1. This is a pretty simple one: We’re not always going to want to do what God is calling us to, but we are called to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, and “if it don’t hurt, it ain’t a sacrifice.”

  2. The fact is, we have to command ourselves. Sometimes this will be verbal reminders, sometimes it will be scriptures that we’ve posted around to remind us of God’s plans for us [Thanks, Dionne!], and sometimes this will be heeding what our APs (accountability partners) tell us even when we don’t want to hear it. [1 Corinthians 9:27]

5.   Wire it in: Once you’ve figured out exactly what needs to happen to execute this climbing move successfully, attempt to perform it on your own, first by itself, and then, in sequence. If necessary, wire in the conscious commands from your mind as a part of the essential beta, at least until your body can automatically perform these types of movement correctly every time without your directed focus.

  1. This step, for believers, should be simple to grasp; but is vital, nonetheless. God doesn’t just take us through things and teach us things and develop us for the sake of being able to add those things to our resumes; God teaches us to make sure we get it and then APPLY IT.

  2. In order for God to make sure we’ve got it and will apply it, He allows opportunities to arise for us to employ what He’s taught us/developed in us.

  3. So, at first when we go thru these things we may have to remind ourselves of the actions that we should take, but the more we get it and the more we are able to practice what God has taught, the more it will come naturally to us.

So, don’t be discouraged when you have to speak to yourself and remind yourself of what you should do. Don’t be discouraged when you ALMOST fall, because the more you exercise what God has worked and placed In YOU, the more it will come naturally to you to operate according to the “techniques” God has taught you. Don’t be discouraged and jealous when others seem to be getting what you want (or think you want……. that’s a whole OTHER story. :-)). Remember, God knows best and as long as you do what He’s calling you to do, EVERYTHING will work out for your good! (Rom. 8:28) So, stick to the climb that God gave YOU and let others stick to the climb He’s given them. 


Prayer 2 Pray: God, I thank you for “almost.” I thank you that because I’m rooted and grounded in you, there may be times when I will fall and get back up again; but there will also be times when I “almost” fall and those are the times when you’re reminding me to stay in my own lane and stay focused on you. I pray now, that you would help me to keep my eyes trained on you; to keep you SOLELY in my focus. I pray that when I see folks who are succeeding and getting things I want, whether it be thru righteous or evil means, that I would not get discouraged and jealous; but that I would sincerely celebrate someone else’s blessing. Help me to FULLY AND COMPLETELY embrace who you’ve called me to be and when the enemy rises in me to try to shame me into becoming someone else and doing what others do to get ahead; I pray that YOU would remind me that I am made in your image and you made me on purpose. Remind me that those who “prosper” by ill means lose in the end; but if I don’t faint and I endure to the end that YOU will be my reward. Help me to be like David and use the arsenal that you’ve given me for the purpose to which you’ve called me. Thank you for choosing me and reminding me, ever so gently, of your promises, thru your Word. I thank you in advance as an act of worship, faith and surrender for I recognize that to walk in your will requires me to die to myself first.  Amen.

Bless God & God Bless!

THE Writer’s Pen,

Angelique

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