Hey friend! I'm Liz
“He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.”
During a challenging season in my life, I was desperate for a comforting word from God. I had ZERO energy to listen to podcasts, preaching messages, or read my Bible much at all. So I did what any responsible Jesus follower would do.
I went to Google. (Come on, you’ve done it too. haha!) I typed in “Bible verses on strength” (I needed strength), clicked “search” and waited for Google to bestow upon me the treasures within its matrix. The modern “flick and pick.”
A few search results down the list, I noticed the fist few words of a passage found in Habakkuk. I clicked through and read:
“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk, not to stand still in terror, but to walk and make spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility!”
Yep, The Divine whisper can even be heard through a Google search. (Although, I do not endorse this method as a way of studying the biblical text. haha!)
Infinite strength is already threaded through you.
Woven into you by the Spirit itself. It’s micro and macro at the same time – within you and around you – personal bravery and an invincible army: you are empowered and surrounded by God and his strength. The start of Habakkuk 3:17 is comforting and beautiful to read.
LIZ MILANI
Powerful, two minute reads that have helped change the script in thousands of people's lives.
What Habakkuk says next may sound strange to some: “He makes my feet like hinds feet.”
Hind what?
Have you ever seen mountains so tall and sharp, rocky and steep, they look like they’d be impossible to climb? Perhaps you’ve seen them in movies or in motivation pictures on the wall at your local Doctor's or Dentist's rooms? Yet these impossible mountains have tiny lines no wider than a few inches that wind up and around them. They’re little trails and tracks treaded out by deer. As they climb these impossible treks, their back feet step in the exact sam spot as their front did just moments before. It is the most sure-footed, focused and agile mountain creature, and it is the only animal that can scale mountains such as these.
Both David and Habakkuk said that God would cause them to be as sure-footed as a “hind.”
They used this animal and its ability to walk up the ‘unclimbable’ as a picture of how the Divine can empower us to the do the same. And notice that in both the David and Habakkuk account, God did not miraculously pick the deer up and carry it to the top – that was something the deer was made to do. They were suggesting that God gives US the ability and skills to climb the mountains in our lives, “to walk and make spiritual progress upon [the] high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility…”
In the middle of the challenge I was facing, I wanted God to separate me from it. I wanted the instant miracle. I wanted it fixed, done, over and me moving on to bigger and better things. I bet some of you can relate to that. I bet some of you have even prayed for that. Just like me.
But I have found that God rarely takes away my challenges and pains and heartaches and makes it as if they were never there. Instead, he reminds me that I am a ‘Human Hind' (haha!! stay with me…), created with the ability to walk out the seasons of hardship. If I never walk through them, I’ll never learn that I can.
Strength is found in the walking.
Is it God’s strength in us? Is it our strength? Yes. With God, it's not an either-or, but a divine ‘and'. His strength IS our strength.
Holy and human, the greatest miracle of all.
Like a hind… how can you keep walking? Leave us a comment below.
Go to Part 4 – Need Strength »
Written by Liz Milani
this week has been an awful week. Monday we had to replace a part in our car. Tue we had to take Dan for a biophys after finding lesions in his prostrate and now they need to do more testing. Then on Wed my dog was sick the day before and still was not eating so we took her to the vet. We found out she was poisoned and is still fighting to live. Today Sunday the vet called us to tell us she is doing much better and her chances of living have been raised. On the way to church I was listening to WRVM coming from Moody Bible in Chicago and they were talking about the Lord's prayer and how we should slow down and really think of the words. Our Pastor spoke on how we can share the gospel by letting our inside come out meaning our actions should match our hearts thoughts. So tonight while reading the daily bread devotion I was stopped by Habakkuk 3:19 about the Hinds feet and remembering the message on the way to church I decided to look up and see what hinds feet meant. I googled it and your page came up. Not only did it give me what the verse meant it also helped me to accept this tough week and not hate the person we know who did this but will get away with it (this will be her 3rd dog she has or tried to kill) because we don't have her on tape. I can now not say anything to her and yet be at peace with the situation. Thank you for providing me not only the answer to hind feet but also the words I needed to help me get thorough this week
this inspirational message is really impartful….
God bless your ministry…
I was really inspired by this write up.
This message hits the bull eyes. Thank you.
I recently wrote a poem using this as a verse for the theme. Would you be interested in me sending you a copy to read? Just send me your address.
I used this poem two months ago for the shut ins at church. I send them a card each month with an original poem I have created.
Certainly!
Send it to hello@pktfuel.com
Hope you're having a great day.
Jesse
Thanks so much for reading Deji!
Sending you much love from us both…
Jesse (and Lizzy)
Thank you so much for this writing. Somehow I think I got a prompting, twice even, from God to read Habakkuk, and this morning I dove into my Bible and what stood out for me was the 19th verse of the last chapter, about the hinds' feet. It just stood out and I turned to Google (yes, we do it too from time to time), and your writing about it came up on the first page of results. Thank you for also your honesty in your writing. Blessings.
haha!! Got to love a good google search! I love that you found us that way. Thanks for your kindness friend, Much love. Liz.
Thanks Lizzy for this. I am encouraged and motivated, like you I am having a rocky phase in my life.
So I was reading Joyce Meyers “starting your day right”
Then she recommended psalms 18:33.. there’s hinds feet. Like most people, I came here to google and the best answer was here. And I am blessed and encouraged, my day will definitely be awesome.
I also ended up getting your App.
You should continue with this work, it is doing amazing things for people.
Chao.
Lontia
Really appreciate this meaning and the bible explanation from Habbakuk , i have gone through trouble and sickness but i thank the Lord this morning that he still the same , and encourage me with this bible verse habbakuk 3:19 make my feet like a deers feet.
Amen.
It's one of my Favourites… I cam across it at a really difficult time, in my life too. Praying for you and sending you love and grace. Liz xo
The Lord used you to speak to me today. My pain was so great and overwhelming I prayed to God to just take me, to take me in place of someone else who has served Him better, led a better life, and let my pain end now. After months of praying for Him to take the pain, I was ready for Him to take me. Then your devotional popped up in my inbox, I read it and then Googled you and got here. My strength is renewed, my faith is bolstered, and I will praise God another day, pain or not! Thank you.
WOW Donna… thank you so much for your kind words. I am so sorry for your pain… I honour it and hold space for it. And I'm glad that our humble post ministered to you when you needed it. In my experience, God never takes the pain away. But God does empower us to engage it in such a way that it heals. And the healing? That sometimes takes time. But that's a good. Because every miracle does. Much love! Liz. xo
Just now I am writing a letter to my God, in between habakkuk 3:19 quoted. But I not understood the correct use of ‘hinds feet'.Thank you for the topic and I got the actual meaning of this topic. Thank you God. Thank you very much
So glad Binu! I'm grateful that the post was meaningful for you. Liz.
Thanks for the beautiful explanation of the hinds feet. YouVersions daily verse was in Habakkuk yesterday, so i decided to read the whole chapter. So comforting to read. I came back again to study the word this morning and i decided to go deeper into hinds feet. Searched google like everyone mentioned and you came up. Very good illustrations thank you. Could you throw more light on like a hind ….. how can you keep on walking?
Thanks
Modupe
I was also in obstacles. ..But this word strengthened me.
I appreciate your realness. and totally can relate. But whats best is that God knows all things..and as one who loves the Word of God..yet could not hear a message that seemed “right” or “fitting”..like she had for years..and read her bible for years..and just had “obstacles” and challenges go on..and have been praying non stop..well, today as I was sitting on the back porch lowest step..i looked over and there was a baby fawn (fawns are babies but this was a “baby” fawn)..still, peaceful, resting in the grass….non-disturbed by my seeing “him/her” or talking to it..and I was reminded of Habakkuk …I have Gods word in my heart..but you know He will speak to you in ways no matter what.(thankfully) …and I am staying in a very residential area..and have all my life..and never have seen a baby deer like that, so close (like 10 feet away, resting/hiding/safe)….i was so blessed by just seeing it..but as I did..this scripture popped up in my heart..so I read it in my bible..but then I “googled it” ..thanks for sharing. I can relate. But God is Faithful. Amen. and I pray He is for all who read and in my life continually. God Bless. Thanks for sharing.