April 24, 2023: I Won’t Stay Down

”For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.“ -Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Some of you may have heard of Robert Downey Jr. While you may not recognize this name, maybe you have heard of Ironman. That’s Robert Downey Jr…Tropic Thunder. That is Robert Downey Jr… Sherlock Holmes. That is Robert Downey Jr… While we are familiar with all of his successful endeavors, life was not always this good for him. In 1999, he was known as inmate number P50522. Robert Downey Jr. had an addiction to drugs and a life falling apart in spite of things going well on the screen. We see his current glory, but we don’t know the story behind what he went through.

A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again. A righteous person has moments where they may struggle, stumble, and might even fall. No one is exempt from failing. If and when it happens, they will get up again. How are they able to get up again? They have the tools to do so because they are reminded of what held them up for so long. There is a foundation of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to keep them encouraged of what God is able to do in our lives. The wicked will fall into calamity. Their lives will be shaken into a spot where they don’t know what to do. The wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that is available for all, they chose not to seek it. As a result, they don’t know what to do after a fall. They continue to struggle and slip each time they try to get up because they have nothing to hold on to.

You may have fallen and your identity known as P50522, but you can have your Ironman moment if you know who can restore you. You don’t have to stay down. You can get back up again.