July 3

He preserves our lives and keeps our feet from slipping. — Ps 66:9 BSB

“Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.” Psalm 66:9

It is an unspeakable mercy for those who belong to God that the life given to them in Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit cannot be extinguished. It may sink very low—so low that it almost disappears from view and is hardly felt—but if that life has been breathed into the soul by God, it can never die.

Still, it is much better for this divine life to remain strong and vibrant, rather than sink so low that it becomes almost imperceptible to us or to others. When that happens, we have little comfort in our own hearts, and we become of little help to others. It’s a sad state when we are content with a weak, lifeless soul, focusing only on outward religious activities and external appearances, while inside there is nothing but darkness and spiritual death. It’s as though the Lord must throw us into trials and afflictions to wake us up from this dead state and keep us from becoming stagnant, like wine left undisturbed for too long.