Two Promises and a Prayer

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. Ps. 138:8

There are three great truths in this verse which are worthy of our meditation.

First, there is a promise of God's perfecting work with respect to his people: "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me." How much is undone, how much is lacking and wanting in our lives before God! When we are faced with what needs to be done but then consider how little strength we have, we can become almost paralyzed. Fear not, trembling believer, for the end result does not ultimately depend upon you, but upon God's preserving and perfecting grace.

Second, there is a promise of God's enduring mercy: "thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever." The reason we know God will preserve and perfect his people is because there are no limits to his mercy and no end of his faithfulness to his people.

Third, there is the prayer which corresponds to the promise: "forsake not the works of thine own hands." We can pray this prayer with no fear of presumption precisely because God is the one who has committed himself for the preservation and perfection of his people. His people are the works of his own hands (cf. Eph. 2:10) and they can be sure that he will never leave them or forsake them and that his ears are always ready to hear their cries and his hands are always ready to render help and aid.