“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” -Psalm 18:33

When you look up to the desert mountains of the Judean Wilderness in Israel, you might be lucky enough to see a most amazing sight. If you look closely, you can see animals that look like small deer running and jumping along the steep slopes and rocky cliffs. They are sure-footed though it appears they could fall at any time.

These fascinating animals are called ibex. Though they resemble deer, they are actually members of the goat family and have long, backward-arching horns. The ibex spend most of their time on treacherous mountain terrain where they move up and down the cliffs with ease. They are cliff dwellers and only come down the mountain to graze or to drink from the valley streams. 

What allows the ibex to live in a place that is dangerous for other wildlife is their feet. God gave the ibex special hooves so that they can walk on the steep rocky crags of the mountain. It was ibex that inspired the prophet Habakkuk to write:

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of the deer, 

he enables me to tread on the heights.”

-Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)

The Bible often portrays life as a path. Sometimes the path God calls us to walk is easy and full of joy. But God doesn’t promise us life will be easy. As parents raising children to be disciples, we know this all too well. Life is hard. We can be thankful when our path is smooth, but more than likely we are walking a path of uncertainty, fear, frustration, fatigue and doubt.  

But today, lets give ourselves a break. Rest in the fact that God is our strength. God gives us feet for the path we are called to walk. Parenting is hard. At the end of the day we are tired and worn out, but God will give us what we need to get through the day.

Let this be our prayer today, “LORD, make my feet like the feet of a deer so that I may walk the path that you have laid out before me.”

If you want to learn more about resources for your family that teach about the historical, geographical and cultural context of the Bible, go to www.freshwindstudios.com.

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Eric Schrotenboer

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