Go! And… Rest In His Unfailing Love - Psalm 94:18–19 Series

Go! And… Rest in His Unfailing Love - Psalm 94:18–19

Introduction: When the Ground Shakes Beneath Your Feet

Have you ever felt like life was falling apart beneath you? Maybe it was a medical diagnosis you never expected. Maybe it was a job loss that shook your confidence. Or perhaps the ache of loneliness that nobody else seems to see. In those moments, it feels like your foot is slipping, like the very ground you stand on is giving way.

Psalm 94:18–19 says: “I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

This is a psalm for the slipping, for the doubting, for the overwhelmed. It is not just a poetic line—it is a divine promise. Today, we will see that even when our feet slip, God’s unfailing love catches us. And this love is fully revealed in Jesus Christ, who came to save us from the ultimate fall: eternal separation from God.

1. The Reality of Slipping: We All Stumble (Psalm 94:18)

Psalm 94 is part of the Book of Psalms’ fourth collection (Psalms 90–106), a section that deals with God’s sovereignty over nations and His care for His people in times of injustice and oppression. The psalmist here is not writing from comfort but from crisis.

The word “slipping” in Hebrew is madad, meaning “to totter, to shake, to waver.” It’s a picture of instability—when the solid ground of life suddenly becomes shaky.

Romans 3:23 (NLT): “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Paul reminds us that slipping isn’t just circumstantial—it’s spiritual. We are sinners by nature, and without God’s intervention, we will fall.

Hebrew/Greek Insight: The word “sin” in Greek, hamartia, means “to miss the mark.” It is the ultimate slip—falling short of God’s holiness.

Today many of us mask our slipping with busyness, success, or even social media smiles. But beneath the veneer, there is a spiritual instability that no amount of wealth, comfort, or technology can fix.

John Piper writes: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

If we are honest, our slipping often happens because we seek satisfaction elsewhere—money, people, approval—instead of in God.

Piper reminds us that stability isn’t found in self-reliance, but in surrender to Christ.

A young boy learning to walk on ice clutches his father’s hand. He slips constantly, but he doesn’t fall—not because his feet are firm, but because his father’s grip is strong. In the same way, God’s grip is what holds us when we slip.

2. The Support of God’s Unfailing Love (Psalm 94:18b)

“Your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.”

The phrase “unfailing love” is the Hebrew chesed—a rich covenant word meaning loyal, steadfast, faithful love. It is the same love that led God to redeem Israel and the same love that sent Jesus Christ to the cross.

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT): “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

In the exile, Israel felt abandoned—but Jeremiah reminded them God’s mercies were new every morning. Today, in our exile of sin and brokenness, Christ is the morning mercy we need.

In the Septuagint, “supported” is rendered by the Greek antecho, meaning “to hold up, to keep from falling.” That is exactly what the cross does—it holds us when sin would sink us.

What holds you when your mental health wavers? When your relationships strain? When your bank account dries? God’s chesed—His loyal love—is the anchor.

Max Lucado says: “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.”

Lucado reminds us: God’s unfailing love doesn’t promise a life without storms, but a destination with Him that is secure.

Think of a lifeguard rushing into rough seas. The swimmer panics, flails, even resists—but the lifeguard’s grip pulls them to shore. Christ is that rescuer—He did not wait for us to swim to Him; He swam into our sin and saved us.

3. The Comfort that Renews Our Hope (Psalm 94:19)

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

The word for “comfort” is Hebrew tanchumim, meaning “consolation, solace, encouragement.” It is not a shallow “there, there,” but a deep, restorative presence.

John 14:16–17 (NLT): “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” (NLT)

The ultimate comforter is the Holy Spirit—sent by Christ after His resurrection to dwell in us.

The word “Advocate” in Greek is parakletos, meaning “one called alongside to help.” That is the comfort Jesus offers—Himself, by His Spirit.