Hinds' feet (7/20/04)

A few months ago, I heard a sermon on the following topic. It was very interesting and struck me as a good fit for our fasting and prayer topic.

Psalm 18:33 in the NIV reads:

"He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights."

However, the King James translation reads:

"He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places."

So the question becomes: Is a "hind" a deer or is there more to it than that. In the sermon I listened to, the speaker was talking about horses and how they get labeled as having hinds' feet. Essentially, the term means that the rear feet track exactly where the front feet step. This is particularly useful to horsemen who are crossing precarious terrain. I looked up the term "hinds feet" on Google and got the following definition:

A hind is a mother deer that lives in the mountains. The hind is one of the most sure footed animals in the world. When she goes up the side of the mountain she uses her front feet to test for loose stones on the slope. When she finds firm ground she then places her back feet in the exact spot that her front feet were placed. If she did not test the rocky incline with her front feet, the loose stones would cause her to slip and fall down the mountain.

This week we are praying that we become like hinds' feet. We are praying that we (the rear feet) land exactly where Jesus (the front feet) leads. We are praying that we follow the example of Christ and land on His sure footing. Too often I find myself following the wrong things. Those wrong things are normally either my own pride or the ways of the world. Both lead to the loose rocky stones that only He can help us avoid. I think about this a lot and I've come to the following conclusion (you may not agree): It isn't easy but it is simple.

It isn't easy for me to look to Him in all things… but He is always there and He is the only answer. It isn't easy for me to look to His wisdom when all around me the world is screaming the exact opposite… but He is always there and He is the only answer. To quote Pastor Craig from this weekend: "As Christians, we realize we have a terminal illness called sin. That's why we want to cling so closely to the Great Physician." So this week we are praying that we follow in his footsteps. That we go exactly where he leads us. That we stop trying to "heal" ourselves.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob