Focus

Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.

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Read

Psalm 119:169-176 (NRSV)

Let my cry come before you, O LORD;
give me understanding according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
My lips will pour forth praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your promise,
for all your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
Let me live that I may praise you,
and let your ordinances help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.

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Reflect

When the human baby is born, its first act of communication is to cry. Not only that, it is one of the first signs of good health. Traditionally, doctors “spanked” a baby so that it would open its mouth and lungs to breath. This is no longer necessary because babies will naturally cry out as a sign of reliance and dependence upon their parents. Crying is often shamed in our hardy, American culture but even scripture points to an appropriate time to cry out to God.

Holding hands is often one of the first physical actions we use to show our love and trust towards someone else. When we were but infants, our parents reached out to us so that our tiny hands could clasp their thumbs and sooth our clamoring. As we learned to walk, their hands served as buffers to keep us steady. In our times of brokenness, they were there to dry our tears or pat our backs in consolation. When we’re in “puppy love,” holding hands often symbolizes the first act of affection with our significant other. As we age, intimate human contact becomes less frequent and the need for physical touch increases. Holding hands becomes a wellspring of love for those set aside in their poor health.

The psalmist understands the human need for nurture and dependence. It is not unique to a newborn or the elderly but a constant need for us all. Here, the psalmist declares that our cries are motivated by a need for understanding and deliverance. We desire a foundation of truth by which we all should orient our lives and actions. We seek and acknowledge it by crying, asking, praising, singing, and reaching out towards God’s outstretched hand. This is the maturation cycle of a spiritual dependent.

We can have confidence that our cries will be heard and we can find understanding in God’s word. There is deliverance in the promises and law of the Lord. God’s word beckons and motivates the song of our souls. There is a hand ready to help and when we hold it we are met with a deeply ethereal experience. We are seamlessly interconnected at the palms and our fingers tightly interwoven like patterns in a quilt. This is the salvation of the Lord and it is appropriately symbolized in the cross of our denomination; hands held together at the cross of Christ.

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Pray

Lord, let us never be too proud to cry out to you. Let us never believe that our hands alone keep us on our feet. Let us remember where our help comes from and trust your law is good for our body and souls. Amen.

Go with God.