More Psalm 138

Today we may as well finish Psalm 138 by concentrating on verse 8:

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD , endures forever-
do not abandon the works of your hands.

This verse is a great source of encouragement and confidence when we are facing times of struggle and/or when we are in need of guidance. It's amazing to just get your mind around the fact that God does have a purpose for you in Christ. You are not an accident! The naturalists would have you believe that you are basically a really cool amalgamation of biological mass that happened to come together as a result of chance.... which would leave you without any hope or any purpose at all. God says here that He has a purpose for you. (Read the very next Psalm to learn more about your origin!).

Not only does God have a purpose for you, it WILL come to pass. Nothing can stop it. It doesn't rely on what you do or don't do (though clearly we're called to pursue Him in obedience). Ultimately it rests on the good grace of God.... His love which "endures forever." Romans 8 reminds us that NOTHING can separate us from God's love in Christ.

The amazing thing about Psalm 138 is that it seems to be written in a time of turmoil, confusion, struggle, uncertainty. In the midst of these trials the writer worships God (see yesterday) and concludes on a note of assurance that God's purpose will be worked out. When times are rough and you face uncertainty and struggle, do you worship God confidently and trust that His purposes are at work? Do you thank Him for being a God who redeems the hard times and uses them to fulfill His greater purposes in your life? Do you meditate on the fact that YOU are the work of HIS hands?!?

It seems that a key concept here is perspective. It takes an eternal perspective to rest in God and trust Him to work when the situation is bleak. If you are focused only on today, only on what you can see right in front of you, it is easy to miss and easy to doubt. When we fix our eyes on God's eternal purpose, we can say respond to trials by trusting in God's love and purpose. We can have confidence that, in Christ, He has promised not to abandon the work of His hands.