The Great Commission & Psalm 138:8 - The Lord Wants to Accomplish That Which Concerns You - Episode 90

Well hey there, hello to you & welcome to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, now playing on the edifi app - getting the promises of God into the people of God, one episode at a time. I’m your host, Jan L. Burt, and I’m so glad you’re joining me today! This is episode 90.

 

In this episode let’s take a look at a verse from the book of Psalms. There is always so much hope, honesty, and encouragement in the Psalms - it is a book we don’t want to neglect. And the particular verse I am going to read to you in a moment is from Psalm 138, getting toward the end of the book of Psalms. Verse 8 of Psalm 138. I am reading today from the Amplified Bible.

 

Psalm 138:8 - The LORD will accomplish that which concerns me; Your (unwavering) lovingkindness, O LORD, endures forever --- Do not abandon the works of Your hands. 

We find here both a personal declaration and then a sort of prayer for this truth to continue to prevail.

 

There are some strange and unbiblical teachings that have been floating around the interwebs - so when I use the word declaration here, please know I’m not using that word the same way as it’s often being used wrongly. This isn’t manifesting something or declaring something as a means to manipulate God or try and be the boss of Him, overriding His will. Those things are not Biblical. And this verse from Psalms isn’t that kind of declaration, not in the least.

 

It is, however, a human being stating that God is going to accomplish the things He has planned. And there is nothing wrong with saying that out loud, for others to hear, for your own ears to hear, and for the devil to hear, too. Nothing at all wrong with declaring that. 

 

So what is it that the author of this psalm said, again? The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me. And God’s unwavering lovingkindness endures forever. 

What God intends for you is for you and He does not want it prevented, stopped, delayed, deferred or deterred. God wills for His will to be the will that is accomplished. True for you and true for me.

 

If it is encouraging for you to remind yourself of that, then please do so! 

And remind others, too!

 

When God begins to move, to act, to change things, I don’t find much evidence in the Bible for slow movement. The Exodus took place quickly once God began moving. Joseph rose to power in Egypt overnight once God began to move. The church grew by the thousands once the Spirit of God began to move in the book of Acts. The promise may not happen on the same day that it is given, but it will come to pass and when it is time to get the ball rolling, when God says to move, that’s the time for things to really start moving. So, beware when people tell you to slow down as it relates to something the Lord is saying to be busy about right now. We don’t hold back from the Lord; we go all in with Him and we do exactly what He says, exactly when He says. Safe bets yield nothing in God’s Kingdom.  

 

The Lord wants to accomplish that which concerns you, my friend. So that implies that there is value in what concerns you - because if it’s something God wants, which is what this verse says, then it is of value to Him. 

 

Psalm 138:8 - The LORD will accomplish that which concerns me; Your (unwavering) lovingkindness, O LORD, endures forever --- Do not abandon the works of Your hands. 

 

His unwavering lovingkindness is your promise as you keep on doing the things He has called you to do. The good works that He prepared in advance for you to do. Not you doing my good works, or me trying to work at what He wants you to be doing. Let His lovingkindness, which endures forever, be the promise you bear in mind as you follow Jesus and do what He asks of you. Let Him accomplish that which concerns you. And stay vigilant in prayer about the people or the circumstances that will try and slow down or hinder or hamper you from doing the good works He prepared in advance for you to do. 

 

It’s not our want-tos and hope-sos that accomplish the will of the Lord, it is us doing what James says to do - to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Some people in the church do a lot of hearing, but not much doing. Now, you will see this coming from a mile away outside of the church, outside the body of Christ. When it takes place within the church, that’s when we stumble over it, ya know? We question if God really laid that certain thing upon our heart. If maybe we heard wrong. If we are on the wrong track. But there is a way to know what His will is. The Word of God, when we open it, and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, and the time we spend in prayer are all ways to know for certain what God’s good and pleasing and perfect will truly is. We can know the will of the Lord, but we get muddled up in our thinking sometimes and we start wondering if we can hear Him at all. But we can, according to the Bible! And that’s such great news for us! If some folks within the church are regularly the ones who say, “Slow down. Not so fast. Might want to think about that. What are your priorities?” when it comes to doing what God is leading you to do, then maybe, just maybe, they are the ones who aren’t hearing from the Lord? Perhaps they have some fear of stretching out their tent pegs and preparing room for the work God is going to do next? Where there is no vision, the people perish. Don’t let someone else’s lack of vision cloud your vision. Trust Your good God to guide and direct your steps, and He will. He is more than able to tell you this is the way, walk ye in it. Turn now to the right, now go to the left. That’s not difficult for Him at all. And if you want to know His will day by day, moment by moment, in every relationship, in every endeavor, in every nook and cranny and aspect of your life, and you truly want to know His will in order that you might do His will, if you just don’t want to miss it for the world, then you won’t. He will make it clear. Just be prepared that sometimes people may be quote unquote encouraging you to be cautious, to be careful…and that quote unquote encouragement could really be discouragement. Your courage comes from the Lord God Most High, the Almighty One, the Great I AM. He has no lack of courage to give to you. Discouragement, literally a lacking of courage, that is not from God. I never in my bible see the Lord stripping away courage and encouragement from those who want to do His will. And there is no shadow of turning with Him, so He isn’t going to suddenl;y begin to do a thing that contradicts His word. 

 

Trust God enough to trust His word, because He is the Living Word. 

And remember, He will never ever abandon the works of His hands.

He holds you in the shallow of His hands, right there in His palm. You are safe, you are secure, and you are held by the One who is going to accomplish that which concerns you.

 

Naysayers don’t hold a candle to that, ya know?

 

Lord bless you today as you continue to live in the light of the promises of God.

 

This is episode 90 of The Burt Not Ernie Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the edifi app.

 

I’d love it if you would subscribe via whatever platform you listen on and share the podcast with your friends and family. 

 

Thanks for listening and I’ll be back next time for episode 91!

 

God bless - bye bye! 

 

Jan L. Burt is an author, speaker, podcaster, homeschooling veteran, mother to five, and has been happily married to Tony for thirty years. She served in youth ministry alongside her husband for twelve years & has led several Bible studies for women as well as hosting two online prayer retreats.

Jan is the host of the podcast “The Burt (Not Ernie) Show” & author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & “The Power of God’s Will – 40 Days of God’s Promises Devotional” (available on Amazon) & “The Once-A-Year Homeschool Planner” (a multi-grade, multi-subject planning system) – which can be found at JanLBurt.com. She has also been a regular contributor to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Find Jan  Instagram: @JanLBurt or at her website JanLBurt.com or at her YouTube channel, “God’s Promises for You with Jan L. Burt”.