Mensa Otabil - Strength in the Lord
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Welcome to day number 12 of our Fresh Start. We’ve been praying and preparing our hearts for this new year that the Lord will guide us and order our steps in all that we do. So, we go to Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 19: «The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet; He will make me walk on my high hills.» This statement of prayer from Habakkuk is reflected many times in the Psalms because it was a general prayer that people prayed in Israel when they were undertaking an effort or doing something. They prayed that God would do these things for them, and I want us to look at the importance of this prayer for us.
The first thing he prays, or he declares, is that the Lord is my strength. God is our strength. Many times, there are things we want to do that we are able to do, and then there are things we want to do that are a little beyond us. You may want to achieve something bigger, but you don’t have the right skills, or your skills are not sufficient; you don’t have the right connections, and you don’t have the right finances. In those cases, God gives us the extra. The Lord becomes our strength. In this year, there are many things you’re going to seek to attempt that are so big, so huge, that you may feel inadequate. But in those moments, God is your extra. The Lord is your strength. He helps us to do things beyond our physical abilities and beyond our own skill sets.
Then he says something else: he says the Lord will make my feet like the deer’s feet. Why does he say that, not the lion but the deer? Because the deer, in the days of Habakkuk in Israel, in that terrain, was always a hunted animal. There would be big animals trying to catch it — a lion, a bear, or a hyena running after it. The deer has to always be fast to move along, but not only must it be fast, it must also be able to turn very swiftly without falling.
That is how it gets ahead: it must run fast and turn quickly without falling, without losing ground, without stumbling. So, he says, «Lord, help me to run fast; Lord, help me to make quick decisions.» While doing that, help me to be stable, to be like the hind, or to be like the deer, so that we stay on our feet. We pray for God to give us stability as we move along, that we don’t lose our ground, we don’t lose our footing. We will work very quickly, we will act swiftly, we will turn quickly, but we will be stable on our feet. May the Lord make our feet like the deer’s feet, and that’s what this prayer is about.
Thirdly, he says that the Lord will make us walk on our high hills. You know, the terrain of Judea was mountainous, and the deer has to always go to higher levels and climb up higher. So, when he prays, he says, «Lord, keep me safe on the ground, but also help me to go higher; be my elevator, elevate me, promote me, take me to a higher terrain.» This year, we trust God that as we move swiftly, as we make changes in our lives, we won’t lose our footing. Our feet will be like the deer’s feet, but not only on the ground; when we are running, we will also be able to go higher — to higher hills, to higher heights, to high mountains.
So, what does it all mean? God is our strength, God keeps us stable, and the Lord helps us to ascend in life. This year, may the Lord do all of these three for you. May He be your strength, may He give you speed and agility, and may He help you to ascend and elevate to high heights. In Jesus' name.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, You are my strength; lift me up and settle my feet in my high places. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.