Establish my steps on Your paths, so that my feet do not slip.
David understands that knowing the right path alone is not enough. He asks God not only to show the way, but also to establish his steps so that he will not stumble. “Steps” are an image of a person’s course and daily choices, and “stumbling” is the danger of turning aside from that path or falling spiritually. In a time of trial, a person may know what is right and yet still grow weak. For this reason David does not rely on his own strength, but asks for the Lord’s guarding help. This prayer is especially important during prolonged trials, when a person may remain steady at first, but over time grow weary, become bitter, or become careless. The Lord can continually keep someone not only from a great fall, but also from those small deviations that gradually draw one away from the right path. Spiritual steadfastness is not the result of self-confidence, but the fruit of God’s grace and obedience to His will. In the New Covenant this hope of the believer becomes more complete in Christ, because it is His grace that strengthens a person so that he may remain standing and continue walking in God’s paths.