The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV)

How often do we see a parent holding the hand of a small child while manoeuvring through the aisles of a crowded store? It is a beautiful thing to see. My first child was a wanderer, if you turned to look at an item the child was gone. If there was a water feature of any kind, she would be there. It was very stressful and frightening; I had thoughts of getting a leash made for children, a tether to keep them nearby, I never understood what other parents went through until my own child brought me to understand.

When a child is learning to walk or ride a bike, we hold them by the hand or have a firm grip on the bicycle seat. Our intent is to help them achieve their goal but keep them safe at the same time. It is hard to let go of our children, we want to keep them near, but the time comes when we must let them grow up and let them go out into the world on their own. They will fall as we often did and still do. Do they know that if they do, they have a refuge in our love?

How does God hold our hand; uphold us as the scripture states in the NIV? We can always run to him when we stumble. He has a listening ear, the support of his presence through the Spirit within us. God is our stability when the world around us is falling apart. Through his guidance, we move forward in our journey to realise who we are, and he helps us to become the one he loves and means us to be, to move forward in our walk with him. He holds our life in his hands, our future is secure in him. We may stumble, but we cannot fall too far because God holds us up in his love. 

When our child takes their first few steps we rejoice in their progress. We are told God sings over us in Zephaniah 3:17. Does he rejoice when we take our first few steps? Oh, I am confident that he does. In Psalm 37 David had been speaking of the dangers all around us and how we must trust in God to rescue us, to provide for us. God loves us, God will not forsake us, God helps us and delivers us, he says. God is always nearby and ready to intercede and help us; to take us by the hand. I have a firm memory of my father taking me by the hand as a small child and leading me to the steps of our new home. Our Heavenly Father is doing the same. We just need to trust in his guidance and support. In our time of need, he sent us Jesus, his beloved Son to show us the way, to lift us up in his salvation, to uphold us with his hands.

Prayer
Precious God, I lift my hands in praise to you, and I ask for your guidance in my life; for you to take my hand and lead me on this journey to your home, to the place of safety and security. You are our firm foundation, our delight. In Jesus’s we come to praise you! Amen.