Fall is a beautiful season, and I enjoyed it while it did last.  As I thought about this season that comes and goes so quickly, I considered the word ‘fall’.  I looked it up in my concordance and found a few verses that spoke to my heart.

“The steps of a woman are established by the Lord, when she delights in his way; though she fall, she shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds her hand.”  (Psalm 37:23-24)

When Lyndsey and I stood on the bridge over Otter Creek, I tried to capture on film the falling leaves that shook down from the trees above.  Each leaf spun into a graceful dance down to the tripping rills of the little stream, where it was caught up in the current and rushed out of view.  As beautiful as that kind of fall appears, how dangerous it is for us spiritually!  I realized that as soon as we let go of the Tree — our source of sustenance and security — we are spinning in midair with no where to go but downward.  Once we continue the descent we are caught in a current of sin that spins us away from the place of peace we once knew.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father… Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:29-30)

The assurance that we have — a blessed assurance! — is that Christ will catch us as we fall, if we call on him for help.  We are of far more worth than the hopeless, spinning leaf, or even a living sparrow.  The Lord knows we are weak but he is as strong as our most difficult trial.  There is no need to fall if we hold on to the Tree.