Confidence in the Lord

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” Psalm 138:8 (KJV)

Clearly the confidence the Psalmist expressed was confidence in God. He did not say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which concerneth me. My faith is so steady that it will not stagger.” No, his dependence was on the Lord alone.

If we indulge in confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of ages, our confidence is worse than a dream: It will collapse on us, and suffocate us with its ruins, to our deep sorrow. All that happens will be unravel in due time, to the eternal confusion of everyone who has clothed themselves in earthly things.

The Psalmist was wise, and so he rested on nothing short of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who began the good work in us, and He also sustains it. If we don’t allow Him to finish it, it never will be complete. If there is one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we try to sew ourselves, then we are lost. But we can have full confidence in this: The Lord who began it will perfect it. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all.

Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we plan to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Our lack of faith whispers lies to us: “You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never conquer sin. Remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that plague you, you will certainly succumb to them and be led astray.” Yes, we would perish if left to our own strength. If we had to navigate our frail ships over the rough sea on our own, we would surely abandon ship in despair.

Praise the Lord! He will perfect everything that concerns us, and bring us by His power to redemption. We can never be too confident when we confide in Him alone, and will never be overwhelmed with concern when we have such a trust.

Question: What has been your heart’s desire lately? Take a moment to consider this question as it relates to God’s purposes for you and your life.

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.
Used by Permission