Advent Devotional, December 11

Psalm 37:23-34

 

“Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way;
though we stumble we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”

                                                                                                                                (Psalm 37:23-24)

 

As one who has recently stumbled and fallen headlong, I have an appreciation for the Psalmist’s words of encouragement in our text today.  It would be great to assume that if one is in right relationship with the Creator God, no physical harm would come, but I don’t believe that is the intent of these words.  The Psalmist acknowledges that stumbling is part of our human experience.  More significant here, however, is not the physical act of stumbling, but the spiritual step of faith that recognizes God’s presence in the midst of life’s challenges…physical, emotional, and spiritual.  The assurance that the Lord holds us by the hand is our hope against falling headlong into the abyss of isolation and helplessness when we stumble.

 

In the first weeks after I fell and fractured my foot, leaving the house required negotiating the very steps that were associated with my fall.  Not being able to put weight on the broken foot made this challenge seem overwhelming.  The firm hand of Cindy and other friends who came alongside to help bear part of my burden enabled me to accomplish what I could never have achieved on my own.   

The story of Christmas reminds us that in our stumbling, God has come alongside us to hold us by the hand, and therefore, our steps are made firm.  As one who has stumbled, I am grateful for such strength.

 

Prayer:  (The prayer today is the first verse of the great spiritual, “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me)

I want Jesus to walk with me. I want Jesus to walk with me.  All along my pilgrim journey, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me. Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy