My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?” Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees. How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors? The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law. All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for I am being persecuted without cause. They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.
—Psalms 119:81-88

~~~~~

Kaph כ: I Lift My Hands, You Fill
By Jennifer Kane

I lift my hands—
cupped, trembling, empty.
Not grasping, not clenched,
but open, waiting, needing.

Affliction has wrung me dry,
wrung me thin,
like paper left too long in the rain,
edges curling, ink fading,
a whisper where once was a cry.

My soul faints—
not for lack of breath,
but for lack of light.
I have waited, Lord.
I have watched for the dawn,
but the night lingers too long.

Yet still, I lift my hands.
Not because I have strength,
but because I have nothing else.

And You—
You are the river that does not run dry.
You are the voice that does not fade.
You are the well, the manna, the mercy,
poured into these trembling hands
until I am filled,
until I am whole.

Your word is the rain my roots crave.
Your love is the oil that soothes my wounds.
Your promise is the answer before my lips
can even shape the question.

So I will wait.
I will trust.
And I will lift my hands again—
for You always fill
what is offered to You in faith.

~~~~~

Scripture: Psalms 119:81-88

Desperation is not the same as despair, but rather a deep yearning for God’s deliverance. Our soul may feel faint—coming to the end of itself—yet we find our hope in God’s promises.

Paul experienced a similar paradox in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. In trials, our endurance is found in God’s word, much like the psalmist whose searching is so intense that his eyes fail from the effort. This reminds us that God’s word reveals its treasures in proportion to our diligence in seeking Him.

Spurgeon once noted that comfort comes when we put away unbelief, stop complaining, remove sin, and fulfill our neglected duties. True comfort is always available in God’s presence, even when pain persists.

While trials can feel consuming, they are like smoke and not fire—they do not destroy us. It is possible to pull my tongue out of my head, but not my faith out of my heart. Such determination in suffering keeps us anchored in God’s truth.

When faced with trials, our cry should be like the psalmist’s: Help me! Spurgeon calls this prayer fitting for every condition of need, pain, distress, weakness, and sin. God’s help is all-sufficient, and He alone is our refuge.

Many things tempt believers to forsake God’s word—compromise, arrogance, persecution, distractions, materialism—but we must remain firm. Enemies may press for our destruction, but God always sets a limit. When we feel weak, we can cry out like the psalmist. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, knowing that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

~~~~~

Heavenly Father, My soul faints with longing for Your salvation. I have searched for Your promises, watching for the dawn, yet the night lingers. In weariness, I lift my hands to You—empty, trembling, waiting. You are the well that never runs dry, the voice that never fades, the mercy that never ceases. Lord, when trials press in, let me not despair but hold fast to Your truth. Let my cry be simple and sure—Help me!—for You are my refuge and deliverer. Preserve my life in Your unfailing love. Revive me, and fiill these open hands with Your presence, until I am whole again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

February 22 2025