Psalm 137. 7-8

Verse 7. This verse is full of comfort to the tried child of God: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble Thou wilt revive me.” Are any of the beloved brethren and sisters in trouble, in affliction, in difficulty ? Let them expect help of the Lord – for the Psalmist, though he had been in the midst of trouble, God had revived him again and again. And so shall we find it according to this word. This has been my own happy experience times without number – many scores of times I have walked in the midst of trouble, but I have not been allowed to be overwhelmed – the Lord has stretched out His hand, and blessing has come again.

Verse 8. Now a precious verse: ‘ The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.’ Is the body weak ? It will not remain weak, it will be strong. Are we ignorant? We shall not remain in ignorance, but we shall know fully as we are known. Are we tried and afflicted? All will be over at last, every tear will be wiped away from our eyes. Are we tempted ? All will come to an end, we shall be delivered out of the power of the wicked one : “ He who hath begun a good work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ," and therefore as to the body, as to the mind, as to the spirit, as to outward circumstances, as to trials and afflictions, all, all will come to an end, and we shall have to bless and praise God for all His dealings with us here in this vale of tears. And what we have to do is to look forward to that day, when, with regard to everything concerning us, will be found perfection, and nothing but perfection.

And how comes this ? Because we deserve it ? Ah ! the very reverse ; we deserve the contrary, but the reason is just this : “ Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever." In the way of grace He has begun to deal with us, in the way of grace He will continue to deal with us, and in the way of grace He deals with us continually; there will be no change in God regarding us.

Now, on account of this, we have not to be careless and indifferent, so far as it regards ourselves, but, just because everything will be perfected regarding us, on the ground of the mercy of the Lord enduring for ever, therefore it becomes us to pray : ‘ Forsake not the works of Thine own hands." And here we see, as we see throughout the Psalms in particular, and throughout the Word of God, that real true trust in God is invariably coupled with prayer, and wherever the profession of trust is not coupled with prayer, it is nothing, nothing, nothing but presumption. We believe on the ground of the promises of God, and therefore we believe that God will be graciously pleased to act on the ground of His Word, and to fulfil to us the promises made to His children.

Now then these three points are before us – there will come perfection regarding us in the future day, it is not yet come, that is as to the body, nor in the way of service to God, but it will come – perfection ! And the reason is – God is making His great mercy endure for ever ; as it was, so it is, and will be for ever. And hence it is that we ought to give ourselves up to prayer, and to looking for fulfilment of all the blessed promises that God, in the riches of His grace, has been pleased to make to His people.