6) Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7) Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8) The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.Psalm 138:6-8 (KJV)
Introduction
David proclaims bold praises to God throughout this Psalm of confidence and worship.
While the entire Psalm is a majestic refrain of honor to God, the last three verses are particularly striking and invaluable for those going through difficult times.
We’re going to look at these verses in this Bible study, and we will learn what David says about God’s revival of our lives during times of hardship.
Revival Is a Promise
Any Christian who has read their Bible or been around the block for any length time knows that trouble is much more the rule than the exception in the Christian life.
The word trouble in verse 7 has a connotation in the Hebrew language called tsar which means “narrow” or “tight.”
Troubling times, whether brought on by internal sin or external circumstances, can make us feel trapped and hopeless.
We can feel overwhelmed with nowhere to run, just like being in a tight spot or a narrow passage.“You can count on God to always save you from calamity and restore you on the path he has for you.”
Of course, this is what Satan wants for us, he wants us to feel trapped and left for dead.
Yet, David tells us that even when he walked in the midst of trouble, when trouble was everywhere he went, he knew that God would revive him.
The same applies to you. No matter what you’ve done or what others have done to you, God will revive you.
And this doesn’t just mean that God will get you out of trouble. It means that he will bring you back to life!
God alone sustains, restores and causes us to grow and live. You can count on God to always save you from calamity and restore you to the path he has for you.
Revival Happens According to God’s Plans and Terms
Before we look at reasons why God revives us from out of our difficulties, we first need to understanding our role in such instances.
Now, God can operate fully without us, however part of our sanctification and relationship with him involves us being willing to cooperate with God’s plans and terms.
When we’re facing challenging circumstances, or when we are being attacked by things outside ourselves, trusting that God is still working is critical. (1 Pet. 4:12)“We must rely on God whenever any form of distress falls upon us.”
Our attitude and will need to trust and expect God to come through in such cases. This means we must rely on him and not on ourselves. (Prov. 3:5-6)
In instances where we are to blame; when trouble is the result of what we have done wrong, then we need to desire and ask for his forgiveness. We must agree with his terms and not follow after sin. (1 Jn. 1:9)
Ultimately, we must rely on God whenever any form of distress falls upon us. Otherwise, our pride will keep us far from him for as David states, “the proud he knoweth afar off.”
Put simply, we are not to follow after sin or think that we can get through life on your own power.
Now that we know how we are to act in difficult times, we can look at reasons why God delights to revive us.
God is Invested in You
God delights to save, revive and keep us going because he is invested in us.
David says it best, “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” The word “perfect” here means “complete.”
This means that God will bring to pass all that he has planned for each of his children. God will bring his will and plan for us to completion.“Even when it seems impossible to us, we can be confident that God always has a storehouse of mercies and strength ready and able to revive us and bring to pass his plans for us.”
David also states that God’s mercy endures forever. God is eternal, everything about him and all of his attributes endure forever.
God’s mercies are eternal, there is nothing, not even time itself, nor any trouble that can separate us from him. (Rom. 8:38-39)
This means that even when life seems impossible, we can be confident that God always has a storehouse of mercies and strength ready and able to revive us and bring to pass his plans for us. (Phil. 1:6)
God’s capabilities and power to revive are infinite. God upholds all things by his power and he who is in us is infinitely greater than he who is in the world. (Heb. 1:3, 1 Jn. 4:4)
Moreover, God has just as much power now as he did when he created us, just as much love for us as when he died on the cross for us.
These facts lie at the heart of David’s confidence in God’s ability to revive.
David then concludes the Psalm with a prayer asking God – who has created him – not to forsake him.
And why would he not? Because he is invested in us, he cares for us and he created us.
We only have to consider what he has done for us for proof of this. We who are with God are “called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14)
David knows that God never forsakes us because he has created us to be his children.
And because he is our perfect and eternal Father, we know he will never abandon his children. (Heb. 13:5)
Conclusion
In this Bible study we looked at God’s revival of his children in times of hardship.
David in the last three verses of Psalm 138 taught us that God’s revival of his saints is a promise we can fully count on.
We also saw that we must be willing to rely on God and live according to his plans and terms when times of trouble arise.“If we merely follow God then he will carry us along the path he has chosen for us.”
Lastly, we learned about reasons why God delights to revive us – reasons that we can be confident in his promise of revival.
God delights to save, revive and keep us going because he is invested in us.
God is eternally merciful and powerful. He has the capability to revive us. Moreover, God created us to be his.
At the end of the day, God is the one who motivates us to do his work, and the one who carries out his plans for us to completion. (Phil. 2:13, Phil. 1:6)
It is one of the most amazing things about Christianity that if we merely follow God then he will carry us along the path he has chosen for us.
Not only that, but God will carry and deliver us from all trouble. (Is. 46:4)
May these truths encourage us to remain steadfastly committed to him in times of trouble, and to joyfully anticipate God’s revival of our souls.
To read more Bible studies like this about God’s revival, subscribe to our email list.
Image Credit
The Vision and Inspiration (Joan of Arc series: I), c. 1907-early 1909. Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel (painter) French, 1850 – 1913. Oil and gold leaf on canvas. The National Gallery of Art. Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection). 2015.19.34.