Learning to Ride a Bike

Deuteronomy 31:6—Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.

The first time I learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels was a Christmas morning when I was about 4 years old.  Santa had left me the most wonderful pink Huffy—my sister and I got identical ones.  All the presents were barely opened before we scrambled out the door to hop on those bikes.  But it wasn’t long before my sister and I realized that we couldn’t ride those bikes without some help.  That fear of having to balance on two wheels rose up from deep inside despite all my father’s assurances that he wouldn’t let me fall.  My legs were timid and refused to turn those pedals with boldness.  Eventually though, I started to trust my dad.  I started to believe that no matter what happened, he would be there to catch me.  And then a wonderful thing happened—I started riding that bike!  The fear had caused me wobble and pedal timidly, which made it a lot more likely that I would fall over.  But when I pedaled with confidence knowing my father was nearby, I could find the balance on that bike.  Our lives are a lot like that learning to ride a bike experience.  We must act strongly and boldly because we are filled with faith and courage in the Lord.  Timidity and nervousness can make us waver, vacillate, and even fall down.  When we believe God is with us, though, we can step strongly and boldly into each moment of life with the assurance that we will continually rise up and never fall. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His unwavering presence.  Rejoice in the courage He fills you with.  Pray that in every moment you would act strongly and boldly according to His Will.  Ask Him for courage to overcome timidity and nervousness as you grow in your faith devotion to Him.