Bible Bites - The Steps of a Man - Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
- Psalm 37:23-24
This is a really encouraging scripture! When we delight in the Lord and His ways, we are following in the will of God. God has a plan for each of us, and His plans are always for good and not evil (Jeremiah 21:11). When we follow the will of God, we are literally following the orderly paths God has established for us.
God makes a further promised that though we fall, we will not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. What does that mean? What does it mean to be cast headlong? In Hebrew, the word is tulle (tool) and it means to be cast out, or be thrown down. It has a very strong feeling of catastrophic loss or utter destruction.
Here, God is saying that in this corrupted world, those who follow Him may fall and suffer, but it is only a momentary loss, we will recover. When the ungodly fall, their fall, in the end, will lead to their ruin and utter destruction.
There is a parallel scripture in the New Testament in Romans 8:28 that says, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This is basically saying that for those who love God and are following in His will and purpose for them, no matter what comes our way, no matter our stumbles, everything will be worked out for good.
God does not promise that those who love and obey Him will not suffer, rather in the Bible we are told that we should expect suffering, persecution, and pain. However, God himself holds our hand and walks us through the temporary sufferings experienced in this life and ushers us into eternal life with Him where we will no longer suffer sadness, tears, or pain. We will live in perfect peace and joy with Him FOREVER!
As Denzel Washington put it, "I'd rather stand with God and be condemned by the world, than to stand with the world and be condemned by God". I think that's a pretty solid way to live and Psalm 37:23-24 backs this up.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, we thank you for ordering our steps and holding our hands as we walk through this life. Help us to always remember that you are with us, that your plans for us are for good, and that for us that love and obey you, no matter what happens, it will be worked together for good! We thank you for these beautiful and amazing promises. Help us to stay strong, faithful and encouraged in you always. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, believe, and receive with thanks giving and praise! Amen!
