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.
In our anxiety-ridden, politically divided, increasingly secular nation, true hope is rare. Pills may numb, podcasts may distract, but only the presence of Christ brings cheer to the soul.
Charles Stanley wrote: “God will never guide you to be someone He has not created you to be.”
Stanley reminds us that the comfort God gives aligns with our true identity—not who the world says we should be, but who we are in Christ.
4. The Gospel: The Ultimate Catch When We Slip
Here is the heart of the matter: We have all slipped—not just into doubt or despair, but into sin. The wages of that sin is death (Romans 6:23). But God, in His chesed, sent His Son Jesus Christ—fully God, fully man—to live the life we failed to live, die the death we deserved, and rise again, defeating death and hell.
Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus became the hand that catches us, the lifeguard that saves us, the foundation that holds us.
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.” (1 Peter 3:18 NLT)
5. Application: How Do We Respond?
Repent and Believe.
Turn from self-reliance and sin. Trust in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord.
Rest in His Love Daily.
Start each day remembering His mercies are new every morning.
Renew Your Mind with His Word.
When doubts fill your mind, let Scripture replace fear with faith.
Reach Out to Others Who Slip.
Comfort others with the comfort you have received (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
Tim Keller wrote: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
This is the balance—humility and hope, repentance and rest.
Invitation to Salvation:
Friend, have you felt your foot slipping? Have doubts filled your mind? There is a Saviour whose name is Jesus. He does not stand far off with folded arms; He reaches out with nail-pierced hands.
Today, you can call upon Him:
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NLT)
Will you repent of your sin and trust Him as Lord and Saviour? Will you surrender the slipping ground beneath you for the solid rock of Christ?
Benediction:
Go and rest in His unfailing love. Go and renew your hope daily in Christ. Go and comfort others with the same comfort you have received. May the Lord make you unshakable—not because life is easy, but because His love is sure.
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT)
Amen.
