The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand

Psalm 37:23-24

Firms steps. No one can appreciate them better than a mountaineer. One false step on the steep and treacherous slopes of a mountain and disaster would strike. That is why mountaineers gear up with special equipment and shoes for their adventure. It takes months, and sometimes, years to prepare oneself for mountains like Everest – mentally and physically. But none of that guarantees the safety of the mountaineer. Many have died from one false or unsteady step. 

Life has such uncertainties in every endeavor. We cannot guarantee the result of anything until we have braved through it. It does not matter how long and often we have done it or our mastery of it. A single miscalculation or distraction could be disastrous and life-threatening. The world has many broken lives as an example for us. They had enthusiasm and moved with zest, but their end does not testify as an example for encouragement. Take a casual look at the entertainment world and see the carnage of some of the best skilled and celebrated lives. Academia is no different. They may look spiffy and sound brilliant. Yet, many of them are the most broken and miserable of all people. I cannot go on to the business, administrative, and governmental fields. Examine them for yourself and feel the need for a firmer ground and a trusted hand to uphold your life. 

David knows this truth too well. His life testifies to the goodness of God. It reveals how God supports those who love Him. As a child, he was left out in the cold to fight lions and bears while tending the flock of his family. But God did not forget him. He made his steps firm and his hands strong for victory (1 Sam. 16:11-13; 17:34-37). God testified that He had “found a man after His own heart” (13:14).

During his service in the palace of Saul, and through the wild chase of this jealous and mentally disturbed king who was after his life, God made David’s steps firm. He kept David one step ahead of Saul. Though David stumbled in the affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, God graciously kept his servant up. When the prophet Nathan rebuked him, David repented and was forgiven (11:1-27; 12:13). 

As an aging king, David struggled through the humiliation of the conspiracy of his two sons, Absalom (15:1-18:1-17) and Adonijah’s attempt to usurp power (1 Kings 1:5-10). So, when David makes these confessions in Psalm 37, they were the deep effusions of his heart and the expression of his experience of the faithfulness of God through multiples of chaotic life situations.       

You and I need this firm and unshakable ground in Jesus to support us in this turbulent world. We need the mighty right hand of God to sustain us amid the storms of this world. 

So, let us delight in the Lord and experience the warmth of these promises in Christ Jesus. Amen!