You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. Psalm 18: 28-36, NIV.
Gracious God, we thank You that Your mercies toward us are new every morning! May we experience a spiritual renewal in the study of Your Word today. In the precious name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen.
We have come to the very last sentence in the Scripture that we have been studying for the past seven days. It brings to my memory, one of our recent devotionals, God Is Our All! – Part 2. As we looked at the different connotations of the word save, an interesting use of the word included, “To bring to a place of safety or broad pasture.” In our text for today the psalmist claims that it is God who broadens the path beneath [him]. It is God who makes our path safe! From personal experience, I would much rather walk on a broad road than a narrow one, any day! My preference for ample space is because I am a rapid walker. I like to feel a broad surface beneath my feet, because of the possibility that I could slip in my haste, and on a narrow road, I could fall over a precipice and hurt myself! Since the psalmist was constantly on the “look out” for his enemies, he may have felt the need to tread on a broad path, so that he could run with confidence! This presents a rather unusual dynamic, since the road that leads to eternal life is usually referred to as narrow. ” ‘ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. . .” ‘ ” (Matthew 7: 13, 14, emphasis provided). From my personal experience, the two thoughts are reconciled, as the narrow road of self-denial, is made broad by God’s abundant grace!
So that [his] ankles do not turn. This is the second time in this portion of Scripture that the psalmist makes reference to his feet, or a part of his foot. The first was a claim that God had given him feet like that of a deer (33). Now he makes reference to his ankle. I was amazed to discover just how important our ankles are. I found some rather interesting information about them on e Orthopod:
“The ankle joint acts like a hinge. But it’s much more than a simple hinge joint. The ankle is actually made up of several important structures. The unique design of the ankle makes it a very stable joint. This joint has to be stable in order to withstand 1.5 times your body weight when you walk and up to eight times your body weight when you run.
“Normal ankle function is needed to walk with a smooth and nearly effortless gait. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the ankle joint work together to propel the body. Conditions that disturb the normal way the ankle works can make it difficult to do your activities without pain or problems. . .” Emphasis provided.
We do not think of the ankle very often, but from the above information, the ankle is responsible for facilitating our movement as well as supporting our bodies. No wonder when someone twists or “turns” his or her ankle, they usually fall. The ankle is also responsible for propelling the body, giving it a push forward, which brings to mind, once again, the idea of running, or rapid movement. But there are other ways for our feet to slip. The psalmist says the following: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73: 2, 3).
Whether it be a physical, or a spiritual slip, the LORD is the only One who “is able to keep us from falling, and present us faultless, before His throne with exceeding joy” (Jude 24)! Therefore, with God’s help, we can do all things!