How to Find Value in Disaster and Failure

Daily Devotional – Friday, March 4, 2022

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.

Proverbs 24:16 (NKJV)

In December 1914, a night fire destroyed equipment worth about a million dollars belonging to Thomas Edison, in West Orange, New Jersey.  The renowned inventor also lost vital records of his works.

At daybreak, Edison visited the scene of the fire that had obliterated his dreams and visions. Surprisingly, He said, “There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew.”

How to Respond to Disaster

How would a modern-day Edison have reacted to such a disaster? Perhaps he would have called the press and condemn the fire department for slow response and negligence. Maybe, he would have sued the authorities and given up the project altogether.

The road to physical and spiritual prosperity is littered with hurdles and loopholes. Many are the times the soldier or traveler will stumble and feel like giving up. Indeed, in response to threats, disappointment and failure, many surrender.

A Righteous Man May Fall Seven Times and Rise Again

King Solomon experienced success and fame on one hand and failure and regress on the other. The wisest man who ever lived also married hundreds of foreign women and worshipped idols.

However, because he was an underserving recipient of God’s mercy on innumerable times, Solomon believed, “…a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again…” (Proverbs 24:16). The number ‘7’ symbolizes completeness in the Bible.

The Value of Disaster and Failure

Solomon urges us not to give up even when there seems to be no hope. When we think we have tried enough times and failed, it is time to rise up and try again. If one projects fails, start another. We will fail many times before we get a breakthrough.

If we fall into sin, we are not to remain in the grip of evil. We must ask God for forgiveness and, by His grace, rise up and start again. Thankfully, every victory inculcates more faith and courage and strengthens your trust in God.

Rising Up After Failure

Whether in spiritual or physical life, the ability to accept failure and disaster as opportunities to start anew is necessary for progress. Like Edison, we will discover that human tragedy is not that we fall but that many refuse to rise up and continue with the journey after falling.

Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to view failure as an opportunity for growth and not a reason for giving up.