Stability
by Richard Griffiths
In carpentry, an exact fit is vital. I was making a very simple little table. Just a top and four legs. Tables are meant not to wobble. The legs need to be vertical; and the top must be flat. Surfaces have to be firmly glued. If joints aren’t absolutely flat, they won’t stick together firmly. It took a lot of care. What’s more, I was making it for Sue; so, of course, I wanted it to be perfect (or at least as perfect as my skills would allow). Even the simplest of tables needs precision.
The word in this verse for ‘faithfulness’ could be translated ‘stability’. If all four legs on your table are the same length; if they are all vertical and firmly glued to the top, then it’s got stability.
When I was making Sue’s table, I knew how to get a good result – I knew the rules of successful carpentry. I also needed to have a written plan to look at as I worked, with all the measurements written down – it’s all too easy to forget!
Of course, when I’ve done the same task several times, I’ve got what to do firmly in my head. I don’t need my written plan anymore – it’s fixed in my mind. God said to His people, ‘Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds’ (Deuteronomy 11:18).
I guess that, from time to time, we all wobble a bit in our walk with the Lord. Loss of stability means that we might fall and sometimes take those, who rely on us, with us. Stability in our life requires that we make a choice – David says he has chosen a life of stability. And, in order to keep from wobbling, he’s ‘set God’s regulations in front of him’. Actually, a more literal translation would be, ‘I’ve put God’s regulations in place – I’ve fixed them where they are meant to be’. That may be the actual text, open in his hand. Or it could be firmly in his mind. Wherever it is, it’s where it will touch his conscience and keep him from wobbling in his walk with God.
Prayer: Father, thank You so much for Your Word that puts stability into my life. Would You, by Your Spirit, fix Your Word in my heart and let it touch my conscience, keeping me walking securely on Your path. Amen.
Richard Griffiths When Richard retired from full-time Anglican ministry in Chichester in 2009, he and his wife, Sue, moved to Northumberland. He joined the ministry team at Ellel Grange in 2011, where he and Sue regularly ministered at healing retreats. They are now helping on the "Explore" team. They greatly enjoy walking in the beautiful Northumberland countryside and along the coast. Richard loves seeing God bringing people into a strong personal relationship with Him as their Father and the healing that comes with it.
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