by Dona Hake
What a precious and comforting fact it is to know that if you belong to Jesus that your life is in His hands. I pray that this image will give you a visual of His mighty hand upholding you. His loving hand is there to lift you up when you are down, His hand lovingly guides us when we do not know where to go. The same hand that guides us is there to stop us and keep us from making mistakes that would cause us pain. Oh that we heed to His hand as we sense it moving in our life. Let us also be reminded of His loving hands when we are down and tempted to be frustrated and think we are going to give up.
Psalm 37:24 Amplified Bible
“Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down,
for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.”
There are a handful of Psalms where David used the term “cast down.” This is a term used for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. I want to make emphasis on *it cannot get up again by itself. There will be times in our lives in which we know that we cannot get back up by ourselves. His mighty hand must intervene and there is no other way out.
A “cast” sheep is a sad sight. It lays on its back, and as its feet are in the air, it struggles frantically to get back up again. Sometimes it will make little bleating cries for help and just lays there frustrated. If the shepherd does not arrive on time, the sheep will die. Since a sheep that is cast is in such a helpless state, it is also vulnerable to attack by predators. I shared yesterday that the devil seeks ways to devour us. He watches our weak spots and when we are down he knows we are also vulnerable.
I think think this scripture and thought regarding a “cast” sheep can serve to help us realize how vital it is to call upon His Name when we are down. We absolutely cannot give up even if we feel like it. To give up is denying the power of all that has been invested in the wonderful Name of Jesus. He is well able to stand you back up, support you, and cause you to walk again!