Feet Like the Feet of a Deer (Habakkuk 3:19)

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19

When I read and contemplate this verse, my mind imagining a deer. Deer is not a strong animal.  A deer is always prone to attacks of wild animals such as lions or tigers. Every time its life could be at risk because there is always the target of the jungle predators. But God gave the deer tapering legs are able to bring it to jump quickly. Deer’s legs even able to jump on hard and sharp rocks to get to the top of the hill, a place where the deer will be in a much safer situation. Deer is a weak animal, but the legs are able to set foot on rocky hill, past the obstacles until finally arriving at the high and save places.

I analogize a deer’s life with journey of our lives. Life in this world is not easy. Problem by problem could be making it harder to move forward, like sand, gravel and even sharp stones are tough to pass. We are weak creatures who are vulnerable to various threats. Roads are often winding and steep to through. If deer have legs that can take him jump across the stone by stone, stepped on steep streets, if we can do that as well? The Bible insists that God said we could.

The Bible verse above explicitly reminds us to always be aware that the source of our strength is in the Lord, and not to the strength, or the ability of our own greatness, nor lie at all facilities, property, or the things in the world. He could make our feet like deer which able to set foot, jumping with a beautiful gracefully on the sharp stony hills. God knows our problems. He knows what we face is not easy. But do not worry God cares to us. That is why He promised help which will make us like deer, an animal that is physically quite weak but has the ability to jump over the rough terrain until he could safely reach higher ground.

David said, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.”(Psalm 18:33) Rely on the Lord will be able to make us have the ability to stand upright on the hill, where we will be safe overcome the problems that have been hindering us. Yes, only God who can make us like that. A high place describes a place where the problem can no longer be difficult for us. In Isaiah it is said that in a place like that house of the Lord will be able to stand up straight despite everything under unsteady in a storm. God will stand up straight, not stagger and fall easily when hit by storm. In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)

The hard life, stormy problems continue to hit from all directions. All that can make us waver even destroyed sooner or later. Our limited ability will never be enough to overcome the constant attacks which come upon us. That is why we need to jump over all of that and continue to climb up to the top of the hill, where we will stand upright with God who enables us. God promises a help which will make us able to leap nimbly through the obstacles by obstacles to arrive at the top of the hill safely.

How we can continue to climb up to the top of the hill? David said, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)  God’s word! This is the key! We need to train our spiritual life continually. We must continue to grow and continue to increase, retracing up, continue to recognize God more closely. That is what will enable us to be able to rise to a higher place. The higher we are, the more difficult it is for problems to unsettle us. By always relying on the God’s word, with deepen the knowledge of God through the writings that inspired in the Bible we will be able to stay upright despite the situation around us were shaken by the storm. And we can say, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will be joyful in God my Savior.”(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

My dear lovely readers, whether our lives are being hit by so many storms? Problem by problem hit us from every side?  Our feet are too weak to jump on the hard and sharp stones? Hard to climb up to the higher safe place?  Let’s ponder again the Bible verse above. “The Sovereign Lord is my strength” This phrase means do not rely on our own strength when we face the problem. Rely on ourselves or other things in this world sooner or later will make us give up.” he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”  Do not forget that we have a God who so loves us and has promised us help. He is ready to give the deer leg that will enable us to traverse the rocky road, winding and steep until finally standing upright on top of the hill, where the problems are no longer able to bother us. Amen.

Karina

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