The Stumbling Stone

Have you ever walked across a floor and stumbled only to look down and see nothing. It seems as I get older, all it takes is a piece of lint or an invisible thread for me to stub my toe or trip myself. That's why my name isn't Grace. I can walk along on a sidewalk and trip over a crack. Or head across the yard and twist my ankle on a bump.

I didn't remember reading this scripture that calls Jesus the "stumbling stone" for the Jews.

"But, Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame,"" (Romans 9:31-33 NIV).

This reminds me of a time when I wanted to follow a trail to a waterfall. There was a path worn in the red dirt. I started walking and within the first 500 feet I was off the beaten trail and had led John up a rocky slope, completely away from the trail to the waterfall. John wasn't happy. It didn't help that it was very hot and dry and we didn't have any water with us (never head out on a trail in Arizona without a bottle of water). We eventually got back on the right trail and followed some other hikers to the waterfall. We probably walked an extra mile on the one-mile path. John likes to remind me of this adventure whenever I suggest hiking to a waterfall.

There are lots of things that can cause us to stumble in life. Sometimes it is temptation that leads us astray. Or trying to follow someone who is on the wrong path. Or failure to see the path. Maybe we are trying too hard to work our way to heaven. Stumble, stumble, stumble, and stumble again. We are so blessed that when we put our faith in Jesus we no longer have to earn our way to God. With Jesus we have a free gift of salvation. He paid it all when He hung on the cross for us.

If we trust in Jesus we will never be put to shame. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Jesus is the Only Way.

We only stumble over Jesus, the stumbling stone, if we refuse to accept Jesus as our Savior.

Thank you, Jesus.