Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to Psalm 138. I'm going to read
for our text, verse 8, the last verse. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. forsake not the works of thine
own hands. Psalm 138 and verse 8. That which concerneth me. David is the one that is the
writer of this psalm. There is any prophecy that speaks
of gospel days, that speaks of the days when the Gentiles shall
be called in. All, verse 4, all the kings of
the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words
of thy mouth. There is a setting forth of the
Word of God lifted up above all the name of the Lord. And while
we have the Lord Jesus Christ, a name which is above every name,
we would remember that our Lord is the incarnate Word and the
written Word in all things are the same. And in these Gospel
days especially, the Word is preached, is set forth, it is
through the Word of God. that the blessings of God come. God's people are fed, they're
instructed, they're given understanding, they are blessed. Now David here,
it is thought that this psalm was written in the period between
when he became king over those at Hebron, over Judah, and seven
and a half years later, that he became king over all Israel. And of course, he would have
had an eye to that time when the Lord would have made him
king over all Israel. Also, we know from this Psalm,
verse seven before our text, that he is still walking in trouble. In fact, in the midst of trouble,
and yet persuaded, thou wilt revive me. In verse three, he
says, in the day when I cried, thou answerest me, strengthenest
me with strength in my soul. We believe here that the Lord
answered him in his cries, gave him strength, gave him that persuasion
of what the Lord would do and go before him. And therefore
he begins this psalm with, I will praise thee with my whole heart.
What a reminder. that God's people do not need
to be brought out of their troubles to praise the Lord, but to be
given faith to believe the Lord will bring them out in his time
and in his way. And David, especially from the
time that he was first anointed, left it in the Lord's hands for
him to bring him to the kingdom in his time and way. And we know that because of those
times that He could have slain Saul, spared his life more than
twice, exhorted to take it by those around him, but he would
not do so. He would wait the Lord's time,
whether Saul would go into battle and be slain or the Lord would
slay him, but he would not put forth his hand as a reminder
in this to wait upon the Lord in these things. But we need
help. We need help to wait. We can't
just say, we'll just wait on the Lord. Like David, he cried
to the Lord, and the Lord did strengthen him in his soul so
that he could make the utterances of this psalm, and especially
that of our text. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever,
forsake not the works. of thine own hands. I want to
look then this evening at three points. Firstly, David's trust. Seen in these words, the Lord
will perfect that which concerneth me. And then secondly, David's
knowledge. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. And then thirdly, David's prayer. forsake not the works of thine
own hands. David's trust, David's knowledge,
and David's prayer. So firstly, David's trust. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me, or he will perform to perfection, to completion
that which concerneth me. And as we mentioned, concerning
the kingdom, he must have been only some 15 years of age when
he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king over Israel. Remember, Samuel was very fearful
of going after God, had rejected King Saul. And the Lord said
to him, how long wilt thou mourn For Saul, take thine horn, go
to the house of Jesse. I have provided me a king amongst
his sons. And so he goes and he made as
if he was going to offer sacrifice. Well, he was, but there was another
purpose and another reason for his going. Often with the Lord,
there is a hidden meaning and a hidden purpose in the things
that he is doing and bringing to pass, hidden from many, but
discerned and known by the people of God. And David, of course,
when he went out against Goliath, he was sent by his father to
the battle and with victuals for his brothers and to see how
the battle went. And he went really as obedient
son of his father on an errand. But I believe David, he knew
that there was a greater reason why. And when Eliab, his brother,
challenged him and accused him of just going to see the battle
and leaving those few sheep in the wilderness, he said, is there
not a cause? A cause, a reason why he was
there that went beyond just obeying his father and going to see his
brethren. And of course, we know the outcome
where he went against Goliath and where he was thrust into
the limelight before all Israel and the Philistines and the enemy. They all saw that the Lord was
with him and the Lord wrought a great victory through him that
day. So David knew what it was very
early on that there should be a second purpose, second reason. And of course, before that then,
he had been anointed. Immediately he had been anointed,
you might say in secret. The Lord was performing and doing
things outwardly, openly. Of course, also that he went
into the palace, he was playing music to calm Saul. The Lord was bringing these things
about in providence that was confirming that he was indeed
anointed to be king. He had to learn what went on
at court, in the palace. He had to be noticed by the people
outwardly without actually openly proclaiming that he was to be
the next king. However, the ladies, when they
sung in their praises, Saul hath slain his thousands and David
his ten thousands, Then Saul was very jealous and said, what
more can David have but the throne? And he quickly interpreted that.
The way God did it was in such a way that he wasn't proclaiming
David specifically, but it could be discerned. And it was discerned
by the people and even by King Saul. And of course, then David
endured many years. further 15 years or 13 years
of actual persecution being chased by Saul and Saul seeking to destroy
him David was 30 when he came to the kingdom over Hebron and
then another seven and a half years later over all Israel he
was king for 40 years in total so he died at 70 years of age
and so there was a long time, you might say, of exercise, if
we even grant that that began at the anointing with Samuel,
but I believe it went even before then in his own soul. And before
he was actually brought to be king, he had to wait those 15
years and times that he felt his life was to be taken away.
He said, one day I shall perish at the hand of Saul. So many
times he came very close to death and the Lord saved him. Sometimes
sending a rumour and Saul who was just about to take him was
called back and away from the scene. But these things then
happen to David and if we say well this psalm was penned in
between these years when he was king over Judah, but not king
over Israel, the Lord had done many things already. He delivered
him, he'd saved him, he'd established him king over part of Israel,
but not over all. It still need to be completed.
It still need to be perfected. And we know that it was in the
Lord's time and way, it was perfected. And so David's trust through
the Lord's blessing and help for him, giving him that faith,
giving him that trust. You might say, looking back,
hitherto hath the Lord helped us. And then looking forward,
he that has helped me hitherto, help me all my journey through.
He that has brought me to the kingdom so far, won't just leave
it half, that he'll finish the matter. So he says, the Lord
will perfect that which concerneth me. First and foremost reason,
it was concerning the kingdom, concerning the king over all
Israel. I believe we could go even further
than that. In many of the Psalms, David,
as in this one, speaking of those gospel days when the blessing
shall be to all kings of the earth, that he looked beyond,
he looked to David's Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, to look to
his greater Son. Is this when God blessed him
concerning Solomon and told him concerning his kingdom, he said,
is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Or is this the manner of
Christ? Is this going to be the promised
seed that shall have such a peaceful kingdom and a great kingdom,
a great blessed kingdom? And David has a glimpse of the
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. All of those Old
Testament saints, however much they had in their lifetime concerning
them and what the Lord would bring to pass, they had the same
hope. They had a soul that was to be
saved eternally. They were like dear Job. who said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth, that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth,
and who believed in the resurrection, though after my skin worms destroy
this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. He had that faith
that looked beyond his troubles. So though he was helped and brought
forth out of those troubles, he was looking beyond the grave.
He was also submissive to the Lord's time. All the appointed
days of my time will I wait till my change come. And Job again
is submissive, waiting for the Lord, but he needed, like David
needed, that grace and help, that faith to be given, to look
at something that is not yet completed and performed and believe
that it would indeed be finished and completed. We read with the case of Paul
with the Philippians, how that in verse 6, being confident of
this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. This is in the
first chapter of his epistle to them, and we would remember
how that church began. It began with Lydia, and with
the jailer and his household. And the Lord had begun in that
way. And when we think of the end
of that chapter, and he says of them, for unto you it is given
in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to
suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which ye saw in
me, That is, they saw Him in prison, they saw Him afflicted
and tried, and now here to be in me. And so, Paul is writing
to them and reminding them of their beginnings, reminding them
also that it is God that not only begins but carries on and
He finishes. He performs it, keeps performing
it, until the day of Jesus Christ, until the day when Christ shall
come, that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may
be sincere and without offence, till the day of Christ, filled
with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto
the glory and praise of God. We think of when our Lord Jesus
Christ came upon the earth, when he was born of Mary. And Mary
had the shepherds come to her and tell what had been told them
by the angels. And men wondered at those things
that were said of her babe. We read with her, she kept all
these things in her heart. She pondered them in her heart. She realized this was a beginning. but there was to be a performance,
there was to be a fulfilling of this. But she had to wait,
well, another 12 years, and when our Lord was then left as a 12-year-old
lad, they didn't realise he was left at Jerusalem, they had to
come back, found him in the temple with the doctors and lawyers,
asking them questions, answering questions. Wished ye not that
I must be about my father's business? Again, she laid up these things
in her heart, Mary did. There was that to be performed,
that which was put in process, which was to be finished. It
wasn't then until our Lord was 33, crucified on the cross, risen
again, appeared to the disciples, appeared to her, and the Holy
Spirit fell upon them 10 days after he was taken up into heaven.
Then they understood perfectly, clearly. Then they understood
these, what the Lord had done. There was a long period then,
where the Lord was working, they knew He was working. The kingdom
of God even was being preached when He began to preach. But
there was to be a perfecting, a completing, a finishing of
it. You think of when Moses was born.
Great. Works of faith were done there.
It's mentioned in Hebrews how that he was head of his parents.
But 40 years in Pharaoh's household, 40 years in the desert, and then
the Lord appears. And even then, though they give
thanks and rightly so, yet they have to go through those signs
and wonders until the Passover, and then they are brought out.
And all the time there's a, you might say something is done,
a beginning, but that's not the end. They're not only gotta be
brought out, they gotta be brought into Canaan. Then there's the
Red Sea. They need to be brought through
the Red Sea, but then they have no food, no water. And all the
things that are done, and there's all the time, there's the end
in view. You might say the end was in
view when God gave the promises to Abraham, that thy seed shall
be estranged in a strange land, that he will bring them again
in the fourth generation into this place. I will not leave
thee, was said to Jacob, until I have done that which I have
told thee of. And many of the Lord's dear people,
they've given these intimations of a beginning, of a work, of
what God is doing. And in the middle of the way
it's tried, there's tries, there's temptations, there's the enemy,
there's the adversary. It looks like it will all come
to naught. And they need that help, they need that strength
to come to the trust and the faith that David had. The Lord
will perfect that which concerneth me. And so, how is it with us? How is it with us? Have we got
those things? in providence that we wait upon
the Lord to perform. He has begun to do it. He has
done some things, but there are other things that we look that
shall be performed and done. We need help to wait upon the
Lord to perfect that, to complete that. Some of us can look back
to great measure. These things have been fulfilled
and performed, and yet they still leave further that still does
need to be performed and completed. What about in grace, where the
Lord begins in grace? He first gives life, eternal
life, pass by thee and bid thee live. Then there's a seeking,
then there's a desire after the Lord. Is it just going to be
end in desire? Is it never going to result in
full faith, assurance? Comfort, eternal hope. Will the
Lord forsake it? Will He raise up to an expectation
and never fulfill that expectation? This, what David had in the trust,
is really foundation and bound up. The Lord doesn't just suddenly
a do thing and that's it, begun, finished, ended in one moment.
It is line upon line, here a little and there a little. the Lord
ordering things in his time, the very promise of the Messiah.
It doesn't suddenly happen and the Lord comes. We have the history,
the 4,000 years history, the Lord ordering all things in kingdoms
and then at last the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ
comes. So this word that David has is
very much applicable to us. You think of those and all of
us in the ministry no doubt have walked through this path that
we've been exercised in the ministry of the word. The Lord has begun
that, that one day we would stand up in his name. Many things have
come against that, many disappointments, many things that we thought had
never come to pass and yet it has come to pass and Lord has
brought it to pass in his time and way. And so, really, with
David's trust, he already has this eye that there is that which
concerns him. And really, our souls, they concern
us. But with him, it was David, the
kingdom. With Joseph before him, what
concerned him? Those dreams, the fulfillment
of those dreams, that concerned him. And all that went in between,
the going into the pit, falsely accused, and then into prison,
then forgotten. All the time the word of the
Lord tried him because there was that which concerned him
that was not yet completed, was not yet done and finished. And it may be this evening this
finds you the same place. Something begun, but not yet
finished. Something you can see clearly
the Lord's hand in it, And then it may seem to have stopped,
and you wonder where the scene will end, but you believe there
will be that which the Lord has laid on your heart, shall be
brought to pass, and you look to the Lord to perform it. It can be in many, many different
aspects of the lives of the people of God. You know, when the Lord
begins with His people, then nothing in their lives is by
chance. Everything is appointed. They begin to notice that, and
whether it's with a partner in life, or whether it's with their
job, or whether it's a ministry, or the Church of God, whether
it is the day of their death, whether it is the bringing to
full assurance of faith, whatever it is, there's that which the
Lord has laid in their heart. He has begun, and He will finish
it, He will perfect it, and so gives through the way he leads
and the blessings that he gives, this faith, this persuasion,
the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Do we have that
light, precious faith? Do we have that view of a working
God, a performing God? He performeth all things for
me. This is not, this will come to
pass if I act diligently and if I do this and if I do that.
No, this is pointing to the Lord's work, what the Lord will do.
The Lord will do which concerns me, a poor, insignificant sinner. And Jehovah, the Lord of heaven
and earth, He is doing these things that concern me. that affect me and my life and
what I shall do and where I shall be. May the Lord give us then that
light, precious faith. So David's trust, the Lord will
perfect that which concerneth me. But secondly, there's David's
knowledge. He says, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth
forever. It is a blessed thing to be given
knowledge and understanding, and that instead of just an empty
trust, it is based on something. And this is based upon what David
says here, what he knew. By mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. And really what he is implying
is, Mercy began the work. Once mercy begins, it doesn't
let go. It endures forever. Now I know Psalm 136, it is not
in our Bibles ascribed to David, but there is a belief that it
is a Psalm of David, and the refrain for every verse is for
his mercy endureth forever. And it begins, O give thanks
unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. And he traces through then the
wonders of the Lord, and he goes from creation. How that the Lord
stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endureth
forever. To him that made great lights,
for his mercy endureth forever. And he identifies each separate
one, the sun and the moon, the stars, and each one is a mercy. And then he speaks of Israel
and what God did in Egypt, smiting Egypt, bringing out Israel from
them and with a strong hand and divided the sea, made Israel
to pass through the sea, overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the sea.
And you see mercy in every step. He doesn't just lump it all together
and speak of the mercy of God in bringing them out of Egypt.
He notices how they went out with the high hand, how they
came through the Red Sea, what happened to their enemies, all
of these things, he has mercy inscribed on it. I believe then
with our text as well, that which he knew, that it is mercy that
begins. If it was mercy that formed the
world, and fashion the world, and if it was mercy that brought
the children of Israel out of Egypt and into Canaan, then it
is mercy that begins these things and mercy that carries it on. We are not deserving of it. How
easy it is for us to look and we think, well, the Lord won't
perfect it because of our sin and we're not worthy that the
Lord should do these things. No, we're not. that mercy can
never be earned, it is never deserved. And when we join this
together with what the Lord is doing for us, in our lives, in
the church, it is not dependent upon us. It is all on mercy's
ground. If the Lord has begun it in mercy,
He's not going to say, I'm going to begin it in mercy. But if
I begin, then you've got to make sure in your life that you earn
it. And you make sure that you live
in such a way that I will then continue it on, because if it
doesn't, I'm not going to continue with you. Rather, he says, I've
begun in mercy, and I'll make you feel along the way that if
ever it is continued and if ever it is perfected and completed,
it will be mercy as well, not by might, not by your hand, not
by your wisdom, But by my mercy, where would the hope of any of
the people of God be? Where would the hope of the church
be if the mercy of the Lord did not endure forever? If it only
extended to this life, it didn't extend to eternity, didn't extend
to bringing a people to heaven. What if it was to mercy so far,
but then no more? You know, sometimes you can have
someone that has had to go into a nursing home, and they've got
funding, but only funding for a certain period of time. And
when that time dries up, then, well, there's nothing more we
can do. You've got to find funding from somewhere else. Well, mercy's
not like that. It's not, well, we'll have mercy
for so much time, and then we've got to find some other way. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for
ever. How well do we know that truth? David knew it, the great foundational
truth of the gospel, God's enduring mercy. And mercy through the
blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is purchased, is
that which is done in holiness and justness, He's not against
the justice of God. He's not doing violence to His
righteousness or holiness. Because He pays the debt, He
settles the debt. He endures the wrath of God on
behalf of His people. And then He performs for them.
It's a wonder, isn't it? They still remain sinners here
below. They still feel their sin. In
fact, they feel their sin more than they ever felt it before.
All the time they have this knowledge that they're saved by mercy that
endures forever. The foundational truth of the
gospel, and however much the Lord shows his people their sin,
turn again, thou son of man, thou shalt see greater abominations
than these. However much he does that, this
truth remains. By mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. I want to look at the last point,
which is David's prayer. Forsake not the works of thine
own hands. David's prayer. Prayer is consistent with a strong
faith that the Lord will complete what he has begun is not a sign
that we do not believe what God will do. We have, as a contrast, the case
of when the angel appeared to John Baptist's father and told
that his wife should have a son, And he says, how can this be,
seeing my wife is old and barren? And the angel's response is that
he should be dumb until it come to pass, because thou believest
not my words. When the angel appeared to Mary,
we read that she believed, let it be according to thy words
of thy handmaid. But then she asked how this thing
shall be. And then it was explained that
the Holy Ghost should overshadow thee, therefore that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. When
you look at both accounts, you might say, well, there's hardly
any difference there. But there is. Because you could
detect and see unbelief with Zacharias, whereas with Mary,
there was belief before she knew how it would happen, and then
asking how this thing shall be. In other words, not I don't believe
it shall happen, but how shall it happen? And so with David
here, and really with every one of God's people, The Lord will
be inquired of, as we read of in Ezekiel 36, by the house of
Israel to do it for them. The prayer is not a prayer of
unbelief. It is not saying we must then
support this and keep reminding the Lord of it, else he won't
do it. But God has appointed this as
a means that his children passing through this waiting period this
forming period, have a constant union with him. They're coming
to him in prayer, they're bringing this before him and reminding
themselves constantly of what it is. David here is looking
not at his works, not at the works of his hands, but the works
of God's hands. Forsake not the works of thine
hands. Does he really think that God
will forsake it? No, I don't believe he does.
but he realizes how much it depends upon the works of God's hands. The hymn writer says, if ever
my poor soul be saved, his Christ must be the way. The eyes are
looking solely unto the Lord and unto Christ. So that is vital
then, that there is prayer. It's not unbelief, but it is
believing prayer, though he will be confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto
the day of Jesus Christ. But there's the prayer, there's
the calling upon the Lord. Verse 9 in 1 Philippians, And
this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in the
knowledge and in all judgment. that ye may approve things that
are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence to
the day of Christ. You know, along the way, there's
many, many things that we want the Lord to appear for. Help
us in, deliver us, save us. And we want not the Lord to forsake
it. There's another aspect here as
well. We mentioned about still being
sinners and still feeling our sinnership. Very often we'll
have these thoughts, we see every reason why the Lord should forsake
the work of his own hands concerning us. We might think, yes, this
is all right for others, for the godly, for a man like David
after God's own heart, but for us, a sinner, we see every reason
why the Lord will forsake us. And so really, in a way, it's
a good way to be reminding the Lord and encouraging ourselves
as well, that we want the Lord. We want him to know we value
his help. We're dependent upon his help.
We're looking to him. We're watching Providence. We're
waiting on him to perform this. The Old Testament church all
the time was waiting for the coming of the Lord. The New Testament
church is waiting for the Lord to come again the second time.
without sin unto salvation with power. And each of us, by our
hope, we don't stop short of wanting that completion in heaven,
where the Lord says, behold, I and the children whom thou
hast given me. Where we are safely landed, we
are brought safe to heaven above. And it is the Lord that will
do that, that will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. He is a performing God. to quicken his people that he
is known from eternity, chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ, called
by grace, brought into this world, called by grace, that he will
bring them at last. We read in John 17, Father, I
will, that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,
that they may behold my glory. That is the completion. That is the the top stone brought,
and the Lord's people all gathered as an innumerable multitude in
heaven, the kingdom delivered up unto the Father. Well, may
this word be a help to us in the trials and tribulations,
in the midst of adversaries and discouragements, those things
that really try us. May we come in with David, with
his trust, The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. May
we come in with what he knew as well and say, by thy grace,
we do know these things. And when we observe providence
and observe what thou hast already done for me, we know these things. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever,
and that we might go on day by day and continue to pray. Forsake not the works of thine
own hands, What a blessing it is to look back in our lives
and say that was the work of the handiwork of God. This is
His handiwork. Why, if we think of Psalm 136,
it begins with the heavens, we look at the heavens, and we are
told they are His handiwork. And it's a blessed thing to view
creation like that, but to see our lives as well, and see those
stamp of the hands of God upon it. forsake not the works of
thine own hands. May the Lord add his blessing.