January 7

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— — Jude 1:24 BSB

This is a beautiful promise. The revised translation is both accurate and insightful. God doesn’t just want to keep us from falling; He wants to prevent us from even the slightest stumble.

The Bible says Abraham didn’t waver in his faith. God wants us to walk so steadily that there won’t be a single tremor in His army as it faces the enemy. It’s often the little stumblings in life that discourage and hinder us the most, and many of these stumbles happen over small things. Satan takes greater pleasure in knocking us down with minor inconveniences than with major trials. It’s more satisfying for him to defeat a child of God with a trivial matter than with a big temptation.

Let’s be watchful of the little things that trip us up—the orange peels on our path, the little foxes that ruin the vines, and the dead flies that spoil a whole jar of perfume. Small things make a big difference, and as we grow in our Christian life, God will hold us even more accountable for obedience in what may seem insignificant.