The Lord makes firm the steps

    of the one who delights in him;

24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,

    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

I don’t know about you, but I have a picture in my mind of a toddler who is just learning to walk. She ‘stumbles’ often, her rather wobbly legs giving way beneath her, but she does not ‘fall’ and hurt herself because her daddy is holding tightly to her hand. He can feel her unsteadiness and use his greater strength to correct her balance. So she makes progress safely, if slowly.

Derek Kidner says that the context suggests the stumble points to material calamity rather than a moral plunge. The truth is that believers are not immune from the general sufferings common to mankind. In addition, they will face peculiar attacks because of their allegiance to God. Things can, and do, go wrong in the lives of believers. But they are upheld in the firm grip of divine grace.

The Lord can even make our steps ‘firm’ as we ‘walk through the darkest valley’ (Psalm 23:4).

PRAYER: Lord, you are my Shepherd. May I fear no evil in life’s darkest valleys, knowing that you are with me. Thank you Lord.