Not Going Down

 My friend Becky recently shared an incident involving her grandson Leon. Two-year-old Leon said, "Grammy, I will hold your hand." She said, "No, Leon.  I will hold your hand." If Leon is the one holding on, then his hand may slip.  Leon may wipe out. If Grammy is doing the holding, Leon is safe.

I immediately thought of Psalm 37:23-24.  “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."  (NLT)  The NASB says “When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.”

The picture I have is of a young child walking with his father in ice and snow. (Appropriate for this  weekend, isn’t it! I am in Atlanta with my grandson Ruben. He and his parents and I walked in the snow this morning.)  Back to my picture: the child’s feet may slip, but because the father is holding him by the hand, he may dangle for a minute, but he doesn't go all the way down.  He may hang, but he gets his feet back under him. He doesn't go down for the count.

So God is directing each Christian's way.  He delights in every detail of our lives.  And when we stumble, we don't fall all the way down, because the Lord has us by the hand.  Notice, "when they stumble."  It's not "if they stumble."  It's "when they stumble."  That means we are going to stumble.  There isn't any question about it.  We will stumble.  And when we stumble, we may struggle to get our feet back under us, but we won't go down all the way.  God is holding our hand.  Verse 31 of Psalm 37 says, "They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from His path." 

I often feel as if I am dangling, just about to go down. I fret over my children. I fear for the son who lives on a sailboat. I worry about finances. Will I be able to pay that insurance bill?  I worry about my health.  Who will be here when I have to have that surgery? I feel lonely, sure that no one cares. But I don’t have to worry.  I have the certain promise, I can get my feet back under me. 

Psalm 55:22 says, “Give  your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” So take heart and don’t be discouraged, God is holding your hand. 

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone

is my refuge, my place of safety;

he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:2 NLT

~~~Faith Himes Lamb