Psalm 37:23-24 - Embracing Adventure.
Psalm 37:23-24 - Embracing Adventure.
Psalm 37:23-24 (NKJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the
Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be
utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (TNIV) The Lord makes firm the steps of those who
delight in him; 24 though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord
upholds them with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT) The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He
delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they
will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 (AMP) 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]. 24 Though he falls, he shall not be utterly
cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.
Psalm 37:23-24 (CWR) The Lord guides those who depend on Him and
gives them the help they need. 24 If those who depend on Him do
stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord will hold their hands..
Luci Shaw tells us, "Each of us is at risk. And each of us
must learn to live with it and even thrive on it."
Really? Thrive on risk? Isn't that for the few who long for
wild adventures? But Shaw observes that in this age of terrorism,
"dread is almost guaranteed"; furthermore, even ordinary tasks such as
driving in traffic can make life risky indeed.
Shaw makes these assertions in her book The Crime of Living
Cautiously, with the subtitle Hearing God's Call to Adventure. She
highlights Jesus' parable about the timid servant burying his master's
money and asserts that Jesus saw the servant's timidity as criminal
neglect.
Does God call us to adventure? If so, adventure by its nature
requires dangerous risk. That's one reason we like action movies! Yet
it's one thing to watch an adventure film with the heroine on a
grapevine dangling over crocodiles; it's another to actually face our own
troubles, with their crocodilian teeth.
In these tumultuous times, how can we confront our fears?
Over and over in the Bible when an angel appears, his first
words are, "Fear not." The angels bring news of what God is up to. As
Luci Shaw notes in 1 John 4: 18, "Perfect love casts out fear"
(NKJV).
Life as adventure? It's a matter of faith. The truth is,
we're all plopped down in circumstances that can threaten, dishearten,
or even overwhelm us. Yet most of us also have many good things
happening around us. Only as we see life as an adventure from God do we
experience life's tang and purpose.
Luci Shaw asks, "Has your heart ever been blown open by the
sudden exhilarating thought, This could be my Year of Living the
Adventure? And if not, why not?"
Father, you know how my anxiety rises when I think about all
that can go wrong! When life seems not an adventure but a miserable
muddle, please cast out my fear. Help me to embrace my adventure.
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every
detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for
the LORD holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24, NLT [The One Year
Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com