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Deliverance from Falling
Friday, May 16, 2014 by Vicki Dorshorn

The third deliverance in our study is our feet from falling. The Hebrew word for "feet" is "foot, as in walking"; by implication, it means "a step." The word "falling" is "stumbling" or "a push; a fall." Thus, our Lord delivers our feet from falling or stumbling into sin and from causing others to sin (pushing).

Several of the Psalms talk about the feet. Psalm 18: 36 says, "You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip." There "feet" is literally "ankles": thus, "I didn't turn my ankle and fall." Psalm 119: 105 says, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path," showing that it is the word of God which keeps us from stumbling. And Psalm 56: 13 is very similar to our current verse.

God has already delivered us (stripped us out of or away from) walking as the world walks. Ephesians 2: 1-6 makes this clear. Before salvation, we were in the world, walking in its ways, the ways and steps of the flesh; and we fell all the time. We fell into various snares and sins. But, being saved, we are provisionally free of that—free to walk in new paths, free to do what is right and what glorifies God and enriches ourselves (spiritually), free to enjoy right relationships, right vocations, and right achievements.

Ephesians 4: 17-32 and 5: 1-10 give us further instructions concerning our steps, our feet, our walk. We are not to walk "in the vanity" of our minds, but to be kind to one another and to "walk in love." There is much to be said about how we should express—should live—the love of God toward others. If we are truly walking in God's love, we will not stumble and we will not cause others to stumble.

In this third deliverance, the Hebrew meaning of "delivered" carries that other idea of "being equipped (for the fight)." God equips us to walk by faith, pleasing Him, showing His love and light to others, not self-righteously or condescendingly, but in sincerity. We walk in the Spirit, letting the new life of Christ in us be the life force by which we walk.

In so doing, we can boldly say, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living"—Psalm 116: 9. In this verse, "walk" means to "walk alongside, conversing at ease." "Before" means "the face"—i.e., "facing the Lord; in the favor and presence of the Lord." We walk along at ease with the Lord, conversing with Him in His presence.

"In the land of the living" does not necessarily refer to eternal life in heaven. In my Hebrew/English interlinear, it is translated, "in lands of the living." "Lands" (eretz) is the word for earth or firm ground; "God created the heavens and the eretz."

"Living" is the word meaning "alive; hence, fresh, strong, life." Thus, the "lands of the living" would be any place on this earth where living people are walking around. And that is where our deliverance brings us: to walk at ease with the Lord in our life here and now. The Christian faith is NOT a pie-in-the-sky, happily-ever-after-when-I-die sort of belief. It is an active, living, joyful life right now.

While we are alive upon this "eretz," we are to walk before our God in righteousness and holiness and love. Walking before Him means that we face Him, look to Him for every turn in the road, walk side by side with Him, conversing on the way, relaxed and at peace in His presence. This is only possible because of His three-fold deliverance: our souls (personalities, bodies, selves as individuals) from death; our eyes (hearts, emotions) from sorrow and tears; and our feet (walk and life) from stumbling and falling and from causing others to fall.

He truly establishes our goings, as said in Psalm 40: 2: "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." The Hebrew/English interlinear puts it this way: "And He drew me up from the pit of tumult out of the clay of the mire; and He set my feet on a rock. He directed my steps."

And all this is made possible because of Passover.

Next week, a new topic. If there is something you want me to discuss, please contact me through the contact button or email [email protected].

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