Railings

The LORD will guide you always (Isaiah 58:11).

Railings.  Railings are found on steps and ramps, decks and balconies.  Railings in parks guide you along the path; railings in the zoo keep you a safe distance from dangerous animals.  Railings keep you from falling when high above the ground.  Railings give you support as you climb to an upper level.  Railings let you move past danger with a sense of security. 

We all appreciate a good railing.  We want to it be sturdy so that it won’t let us fall.  We like railings to be decorative so they enhance the scenery.  Nothing beats a nice railing.

God’s word is a railing for our lives.  It keeps us safe from danger if we keep on the right side of it.  It gives us support when trudging through life’s challenges leaves us feeling weak and wobbly.  The railing of Holy Scripture keeps us from falling away from God and tumbling down to Satan’s level.  God’s words are a strong railing that never fails us in our time of need.  This railing is pleasant to look at; when your behavior is kept on the right path by the Lord’s teachings, you look good to yourself and to others as well. 

Sadly, railings are often mistreated.  Children play on them, risking a serious fall; adults go around them, feeling entitled to stroll wherever they want.  We treat God’s word the same way.  Sometimes we look for loopholes to slip through, other times we just avoid it because we don’t like anything getting in our way. 

When railings are not used properly, people get hurt, sometimes even killed.  When we ignore God’s directions, we put ourselves at risk—risk of getting hurt physically, emotionally, spiritually.  We can even get into trouble that is fatal, mistakes that can haunt us for eternity in hell.  Thankfully, Jesus reaches out to everyone who falls into trouble and offers them a hand up.  He knows that we don’t always appreciate His railing like we should, and is willing to forgive our foolish behavior.  He tends the wounds that we get from falling and places us back on the path towards heaven, a path which He died to create for us.  The railing of God’s word is evidence of His great love for us, something we can hang on to every day of our lives.