I always remember the moment I was taking a school assembly, when during my presentation I walked backwards a couple of steps, hit a slightly raised part of the stage (that I hadn’t seen) and fell over in front of the whole school! Obviously, all the pupils erupted in laughter, as did I as I stood up and tried to carry on rather embarrassed.
Or
The moment when I fell over on an icy pavement. I was wearing smart shoes as I was at a wedding and soon realised, I literally had no grip at all. To make matters worse I was holding my son who wasn’t even a year old! I was doing all I could to not drop him. As I felt my feet go beneath me, it felt like I was falling in slow motion. I managed to end up in a heap on the floor but the whole time with my boy still held aloft! I was well pleased with myself, but not a single person witnessed my heroic fall.
This week we are going to focus on ‘FEET’ as we reflect on another picture within the Psalms, this time what God does with us when we place our faith in Him.
“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.”
Psalm 18:33 – NIV
Deer have this wonderful ability to stay sure footed in tough terrain. They can run swiftly to escape danger and have the agility to get out of trouble. Here’s an extract from an article about Deer Hooves I found online: “Running and jumping with the help of the hooves is much easier, especially when deer try to escape a predator. While they primarily use their hind leg muscles for running, their hooves help them take rapid turns and push off while jumping. Moreover, since the hooves are made from keratin, they’re more durable than bones, which can crack. Therefore, deer can easily rely on their “feet.” Another, interesting fact is that hooves allow deer to walk quietly and avoid making too many sounds, thus keeping possible predators away.”
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/deer-hooves-everything-you-want-to-know-about-deer-feet/
For David the author of this Psalm, he uses a picture of a deer to describe how God has protected him from his enemies and has directed his journey. As the article states a deer can ‘rely on their feet’, for David often wrote about how he can rely on the Lord, the picture here certainly suggests that also. If God makes our feet like that of a deer, reliable in different circumstances, then we can rely on our God.
Not only that, David continues, stating God ‘causes me to stand on the heights’. The higher you are, the more difficult the terrain but with feet like deer we can be sure footed. As we stand on the heights it may be that life is more difficult, situations harder to fathom, problems more prevalent BUT in God we can trust completely, that he will keep us from falling and give us the skills, ability and agility to stand firm.
Standing on the heights also allows us to take it all in from a different perspective, to perhaps see a clearer picture of how things are and a broader picture of what is happening.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:115
“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”
Psalm 40:2
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,.
Isaiah 52:7
“with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
Ephesians 6:15
Whatever is going on for you at the moment, whether you feel you are running and jumping or slowly and carefully moving forward remember to give God your feet. Remember he walks with us, remember he can bring us over the most challenging of life’s mountains, remember his word is a lamp for our feet (Psalm 119:115) and He set our feet upon a rock (Psalm 40:2).
I encourage you this week to keep walking with God, reflect on this verse and below are some more verses about feet to ponder on.
