PSALM 138:8: “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” NKJV
OBSERVATION: Are you experiencing a trial that seems like it will never end? To many, the current pandemic that we are facing this year is such a trial. Many are still under shelter-in-place orders. Business doors are still locked and closed. And, there are those who project a continuing of the same with no reprieve in sight.
To all those who have lost their hope, Psalm 138, verse 8, brings a word of comfort and assurance. It reminds us of the wonderful truth,
God will have the last word!
I will never forget the first time I heard these words. I was in the midst of a difficult period in my life and ministry. It seemed like the walls were closing in on me. Driving in my car, I flipped through the radio channels. Then, landing on a Christian station, I heard the end of a sermon by the late Dr. Robert Schuller. To be completely honest, he was not one of my favorite preachers. Yet, I was drawn to listen. And, in his booming voice I heard him say,
“God will have the last word!”
Suddenly, these were not simply words that were part of a sermon. It was as if God breathed on these words and they became life to my weary soul. At that moment I knew – this too shall pass! God had not forgotten me. I was not destined to wander in this wilderness forever. The Lord loved me so much that He led me to this radio station, at this set time, to hear these words of hope and life! I knew, that I knew, that I knew…
God would have the last word!
This is what Psalm 138, verse 8, declares. It says – “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me…”. The word perfect in the Hebrew literally means – “to end, come to an end, complete, cease;” (Brown-Driver-Briggs). With every difficult situation in life that we face, as we trust in the Lord, He will bring it to an end. The trial will cease, His purposes will be established. And, His faithfulness will lead us to His desired end.
To be honest, as I remember this event in my life, I cannot remember the trial that I was going through. However, I do remember that at the time it seemed like an insurmountable challenge. As we hold tightly to the Lord, as we continue to trust Him in this present difficult time, this will be our testimony too. We will see the hand of God lifting, working, rescuing, and establishing our lives. We too will know that,
God will have the last word!
The Psalmist ends this thought with these words – “Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” I love the raw honesty in this statement. On the one hand David rises up in faith and proclaims – “Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever.” Then, in the same breath he cries out – “Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Our lives are always filled with the tension of faith and doubt. The Lord knows and understand this. And, even in the midst of our continued doubt, the Holy Spirit rises up and proclaims to our hearts…
God will have the last word!
Lord, as I walk through a very difficult situation in my life, that is greater to me than the current pandemic, I know that Your mercy endures forever. As I place my trust in You, I will see both of these things come to and end, to Your completed purpose in my life. You will watch over that which concerns me and lead me in the path of completion, restoration, and blessing.
And, when the weakness of my humanity cries out – “Do not forsake the works of Your hands…”, may I once again remember these life giving words,
God, my God, will have the last word!
In Jesus Name!
