God holds us by the hand

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24

We all stumble! As James 3:2 says, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes.” Can you still remember the last time you stumbled? There is nothing more humiliating and embarrassing than dropping our pride as we fall flat in our face. When this happens, the first thing we do is to look around if someone saw or noticed. We desire that no one saw and that we become invisible. Yet, we tend to forget that the response of the onlooker is sympathy. They too identifies with our embarrassment so the reaction on their part is to help us get up and get back on our feet. There is an instant concern for our hurt and physical welfare. I can also remember that when I got tripped, I got right back on my feet shrugged off the brief shame and forged ahead. From the text, the Psalmist declared that “The Lord directs the steps of the godly.” It is the Lord that leads a person to the right way. The Lord provides security to those who trust Him. Though at times we get hurt for we stumble underneath is always the LORD’s steadying hand (v. 24). The phrase, “He delights in every detail of their lives” does not mean that life will always be good and skies will always be clear above us. In the Old Testament, when God led the Israelites in the wilderness, He guided them by appearing as cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Yet, despite of this, the Israelites still find it difficult to follow God, thus they stumble. But God wants us to get back on our feet and be on our way obeying and trusting Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6). God cares and will not be overloaded by all the cares of the world. He is more than able and He will direct your path. All He wants from us is to hear His voice by constantly reading His Word and by spending time in prayer. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Those who stumble will appeal to God in humility for they know that He will provide mercy. “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness” (Psalm 18:28).

Blessings