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The Lord Holds Us Up
Andrea Lende • February 25, 2021
Psalm 37:23
The Lord Holds Us Up
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Psalm 37:23
“The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].”
“Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.”
The Lord directs our steps.
And when we walk according to His plan then He is at work in every step taken.
How do we know we are going in the right direction?
Sometimes we just aren’t entirely sure.
I pray continually that the Lord will lead and guide me.
I pray He will fill my spirit with His.
And then I listen.
I listen to the gentle whispers – the still small voice.
And then I ask for His help to be obedient.
I look for ease and simplicity.
If the road I walk becomes complicated and chaotic it is often not the road to be traveled.
That doesn’t mean it has to be easy.
Hard things are God’s plan too.
There are times we need to push through hard things as well as our fears to get to the place the Lord is taking us.
But when chaos and dis-ease enter my spirit, I check in to see if the Lord is redirecting me.
I take time with Him to sit in His presence and listen for His direction once again.
I love that our second verse today says the Lord will grasp our hands when we fall.
Our parents saved us from innumerable pitfalls when we were children.
As God’s children, He will grab our hand and pull us back up when we fall.
Now there is no question that we will fall.
The verse says, “Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down”.
So, it’s not an if, it’s a when.
We cannot expect to not make mistakes even though we are walking with God.
We will make them.
We have the Lord’s hand to pull us back up again.
Grace, grace, and more grace.
There is a never-ending flow of grace from the Lord.
Today I am thankful the Lord busies Himself with everything I do and directs my steps as I walk with Him.
May you find the Lord is walking beside you, directing your steps, and will pick you up every time you fall.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that You are leading, guiding, and directing my steps. Thank You for reminding me You are busying Yourself with everything I am doing. Thank You for Your Word that tells me You will grab my hand when I fall and lift me back up. Father, I am unable to go the way You desire without Your help. Left to myself I will fail every time. Please keep my eyes on You and Your desire for my life. Help me do all You ask me to do. I pray You will put joy in my heart and ease in my steps as I follow You. May peace guide me today, Lord. Keep my heart in tune with Yours so I step in the right direction. Keep me on the path to everlasting life and eternity with You, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and will direct you the way I want you to go.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.