Loose Ends

“Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal strap broken.” (Isaiah 5:27 NLT)

I just recently learned to tie my shoelaces properly. As a child, someone taught me how to tie a granny knot. Unfortunately, this unbalanced knot comes undone easily. I just accepted this as a fact of life until I started running races. Ignoring loose ends can cause you to trip and fall. Stopping to tie your shoelaces in the middle of a race takes up valuable time and blocks the momentum of the other runners around you. Thus, experienced runners use a reef knot and tuck their laces under the crossovers down the middle of the shoe. It took me a while to unlearn old habits and develop this new technique of tying my shoelaces.

Do your strings come undone? Do they trip you up and slow your momentum?  Do they become troublesome for those around you? Do you find yourself being jerked around because of these loose ends?

Learn to gird yourself in God’s strength. Bind up loose ends in a balanced knot and secure anything that may lead you to stumble.  If you find yourself unraveling, do not ignore it. Step away from the crowd, and carefully take care of the issue before moving forward.

Lord, gird me securely. Protect me from bad influences. Train me to run  without stumbling.