Secure In His Hand

“O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” (Ps 66:8-9 AV)

What follows verse nine are some hardships of life.  The promise of verse nine is given before the reality of life follows.  It is the promise of God’s providence and provision that gets us through the harder parts of life.  It is easy to live when life has little trouble.  But when trouble comes, the promise above might be the promise that gives us strength to endure.  The soul is the person.  The body is what houses the soul.  The spirit is what expresses the soul.  When David reminds himself that his soul is secure, he reminds himself of eternal life.  I like the second part of the promise, too.  The LORD does not allow our feet to be moved.  In other words, if we rely upon Him, our souls are secure and we don’t have to take a great fall.  There are unfortunate circumstances of life.  Yet, these circumstances do not need to lead to total failure.

As the mind meditated on the unmoving feet, it went back to fatherhood.  We lived in the frigid northeast.  We lived in the snowbelt.  Snow and ice are permanent fixtures from November until April.  At any time, there was ice on the sidewalk, driveway, or parking lot.  As a dad, when I walked with my toddlers, I required that they hold on to my hand.  I didn’t want them to run out in front of a car or slip on the ice.  Toddlers haven’t learned how to fall and usually hurt themselves worse than need be.  So, off we went across a parking lot.  It mattered not whether ice, uneven sidewalk, or a obstruction would cause them to lose their footing, they were held upright by the strength of their father.  As I mused on this a bit more, I remembered their little feet going like wild octopus tentacles trying to find the ground.  They were returned to the ground as soon as their legs settled down.  To return them too early only meant they would trip again.  In the process, their little arms were stretched.  Perhaps a muscle or two was pulled.  In the process of tripping and trusting, there were short-term injuries.  In the end, it was all good.  Safe and sound in the care of Dad.

Life has its ups and downs.  Sometimes, they can be extreme.  Sometimes these ups and downs can take us on a ride we would rather not ride.  In the aftermath, we wear the evidence of joys experienced and hard lessons learned.  I have scars all over my being that testify to that fact.  There are mementoes of better days and worse days.  There are memories, both good and not so good, that tell the story of a life that was anything but moderate.  We wish life were one steady experience.  We are like those commercials for diabetes medications.  We live a life that is anything but predictable.  Just when we think things will even out, another mountain top of valley crests the horizon.  That is where the promise above becomes so important.  We are all like that toddler.  Our little legs are flailing about trying to find some solid ground while our heavenly Father has us by the arm.  Our eyes are cast downward trying to find some solid reference point that will end the experience, but in reality, we need to look up at the one holding our hand.  We are safe.  Yes, we will have our feet go out from under us.  Yet, our Father will throw us in the air as we laugh, trusting Him to catch us.  Life is an experience.  That is for sure.  But praise be to God, who has us in His hand every step of the way.