Comfort me

PSALM 119:73–80

HOW often do you get the opportunity to hold hands with anyone – the trusting grip of small chubby fingers, the nervous tingle of a new love, the comfort of an old friend? Special connections happen in those moments of physical touch.

In his Enduring Words commentary, David Guzik writes of Psalm 119: ‘The sections and verses are not like a chain where one link is connected to the other but like a string of pearls where each pearl has equal, but independent value.’

The section entitled ‘Yodh’ is the 10th pearl in the psalm’s necklace. For Jewish people, the number 10 has special significance, celebrating the perfection, completeness and unfailing love of God. Throughout this psalm, letters representing the different ‘pearls’ give context and meaning to the verses that follow. The letter yodh ( ) is not only a placeholder, a number and a sound but also means ‘arm’ or ‘hand’.

Our verses begin with a reminder that we are ‘formed’ by God’s hands – hands that we can trust to be strong, good, powerful and loving. We begin by knowing that we are held.

Pause And Reflect

When are you most in danger of forgetting that God holds you?

It is this tiny letter of the Hebrew alphabet that Jesus is referencing in Matthew 5:18 – ‘Truly I tell you, until

Heaven and Earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.’

In the King James Version, the words ‘smallest letter’ are translated as ‘one jot’. Yodh ( ) is crucial to the Hebrew language. This letter is the essential pearl in the necklace of Psalm 119 that highlights the unfailing love of God and the comfort that brings.

When this psalm was written, God’s people were surrounded by nations that worshipped gods who were believed to be fickle and dangerous and whose attention was best avoided. There was no thought of love coming from such gods.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

How might taking the love and goodness of God for granted have consequences for many in our communities?

In Celtic Daily Prayer, William Broderick writes: ‘Once you’ve heard a child cry out to Heaven for help, and go unanswered, nothing’s ever the same again. Nothing. Even God changes. But there is a healing hand at work that cannot be deflected from its purpose. I just can’t make sense of it, other than to cry. Those tears are part of what it is to be a monk.’ (We might also add ‘disciple’ or ‘Salvationist’.)

‘Out there, in the world, it can be very cold,’ Broderick adds. ‘It seems to be about luck, good and bad, and the distribution is absurd. We have to be candles, burning between hope and despair, faith and doubt, life and death, all the opposites.’

Pause And Reflect

Who in your community and sphere of influence has no sense of love and goodness in their lives?

What might it look like to burn a candle of hope for them this week?

The verses in our study passage are rooted in the certainty that God wants to be known and understood by us. He wants to share his heart with us. The psalmist’s desire is to deepen his relationship with the Lord.

He declares his intent to ‘learn your commands … put my hope in your word … meditate on your precepts … understand your statutes … wholeheartedly follow your decrees’. He does not see the Lord as a dictator on a power trip, bossing people around. Rather, the Lord offers compassionate wisdom and invites us to make good choices, leading to fullness of life and not disaster.

It is in surrounding ourselves with God’s words that we reassure ourselves of his love, goodness, power, truth and trustworthiness. When it feels as though all the evidence is to the contrary, we can offer up our hands to God in a plea for his help. We can remember that he formed us. We can recall that he holds us in his almighty, good and caring hands.

Pause And Reflect

Take a moment to imagine yourself somewhere safe and comfortable. Picture yourself being held in the hands and arms of God, who is loving and powerful. What feelings come to you?

Breathe deeply and take time for any uncomfortable questions or emotions to rise to the surface and let them settle there and be held in the goodness of God.

Sometimes, we might feel as though we are losing sight of the comfort of God’s unfailing love. Consider memorising the following as a prayer: ‘Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your Law is my delight’ (v77).

From this perspective, even afflictions can be seen as God’s faithfulness at work. To understand them as opportunities for God’s goodness to manifest itself is a tall order, not of grim determination but of positioning ourselves to receive a new perspective straight from God’s hands.

‘Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to... And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high’ (vv77–80 The Message).

CAPTAIN VANESSA COLEMAN Divisional Youth Team Leader Central, Southern and Channel Islands

Prayer Matters contains daily devotions covering specific areas in the territory, current worldwide situations and personal reflection and relationship with God. A PDF of the unedited booklet is available to download from salvationist.org.uk/resources

Retired Officers Focus

by Major Marta Ager (Retired Officers Support Officer)

SATURDAY 29 APRIL

Part of the Retired Officers Unit’s ministry is to encourage fellowship whenever or wherever possible. Thank you, God, for helping us encourage and inspire our retired officers to meet up with others. We pray that through these gatherings your name will be glorified. Amen.

SUNDAY 30 APRIL

Pray for the families, friends and other people who have crossed the path of a retired officer promoted to Glory, that they may feel God’s comfort. Thank you, God, for helping the unit assist the loved ones of a retired officer who has died by coming alongside them and offering support. Amen.

Life Together Focus

by Major Peter Mylechreest (THQ Chaplain)

MONDAY 1 MAY

O God, our loving heavenly Father, we want our corps to be healthy, sustainable, growing and significant to their local areas and relevant in mission, ministry and service. May we lift up the name of Jesus among those we serve and with whom we worship. Amen.

TUESDAY 2 MAY

Lord, we want to take seriously our privilege and responsibility to pray for others. Make us sensitive to any burden you wish to place upon us. Stir us whenever we become lethargic or lazy in intercession. Strengthen us in our desire to pray earnestly, relevantly and persistently. Amen.

WEDNESDAY 3 MAY

Lord, we pray that corps and centres may provide meaningful, relevant and varied expressions of worship and teaching. Help us to enlarge and support holistic, social, nurturing and discipling programmes for all ages, with new people finding our people and locations helpful as they begin to know Christ. Amen.

THURSDAY 4 MAY

Lord, help us to look outward towards our communities, expressing the gospel attractively and engagingly with relevance and innovation. Help us to open our doors to others and sense the Spirit’s guidance, to offer fellowship, practical help and friendship. Help us to listen to people and talk about Jesus as an introduction to faith through relational Christianity. Amen.

FRIDAY 5 MAY

Pray for those in, or involved with, Lifehouses, residential care homes, safe houses and other residential programmes. May the local church be involved in praying for and financing projects and sensitively encouraging individuals in their journey towards a fulfilling and useful life. May all under our care be served compassionately and with respect. May personnel feel better equipped and resourced to face life’s difficulties as Christ is shared. Amen.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Do you have something or someone you’d like us to pray for? Email salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk with ‘prayer request’ in the subject line and the Territorial Prayer Network will uphold them in prayer.