Daily Devotions
Monday, July 21, 2025
Psalm 138:7-8 – Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands.
The psalmist is in trouble as he endures the wrath of his enemies. His life is in danger, yet he is confident that he will be delivered. He knows that God will preserve his life and act in vengeance against his enemies. Why is he so certain that the Lord will deliver him? He knows that the steadfast love of God endures forever. Whatever purpose the Lord has for him will be fulfilled. The psalmist knows that God created him, and the Creator will not forsake the work of His hands.
We too belong to God our Creator. The Lord created human beings, male and female, in His image. He formed Adam from the dust of the earth and created Eve from Adam’s rib. Yet His careful creation of people did not end with those first two individuals. Rejoicing in the wonder of the body God created for him, the psalmist says, “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). God told His prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5a). God created each one of us, forming us in the womb. With the prophet Isaiah we confess to the Lord, “We are all the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8b).
Each of us was carefully formed by God, who at the right time took on human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ hands, the hands of God, reached out to heal and help the people He loved and came to save. He touched the eyes of the blind and made them see. Jesus placed His hands on the ears of the deaf and restored their hearing. He took the hand of Jairus’ young daughter and raised her up from the sleep of death. Finally, according to God’s design, Jesus was arrested by His enemies and His creative, compassionate hands were nailed to a cross. On that cross He suffered and died to heal us from the sickness of sin and save us from death. When human hands anoint us with water in Baptism, the Holy Spirit works through the water and the Word of God to create us anew as children of God. One day, God will fulfill the purpose He established for us before He created the world. When Jesus returns, we will be raised bodily from death to live in His presence forever. With our own eyes we will see the nail-scarred hands of our Savior and rejoice in His enduring, steadfast love. Until that great day comes, we trust in God to surround us with His loving care. He will not forsake the work of His hands.
WE PRAY: Lord, You created me. I know You will never forsake me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- Could you come up with a list of things God has done to preserve and protect your life?
- Looking at Psalm 138 and David’s life, how did the Lord preserve him at different times?
- How has the Heavenly Father protected us forever through His Son Jesus Christ?
Today's Readings:
Psalms 1-2, 10Acts 16:22-40