The Palm of His Hand

Psalms 119:81-88
כ KAPH

81 My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.

82 My eyes fail from searching Your word,
Saying, "When will You comfort me?"

83 For I have become like a wineskin in smoke,
Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

84 How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

85 The proud have dug pits for me,
Which is not according to Your law.

86 All Your commandments are faithful;
They persecute me wrongfully;
Help me!

87 They almost made an end of me on earth,
But I did not forsake Your precepts.

88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

The letter Kaph or Kaf is the 11th letter of the Aleph-Bet, and means the palm of a hand, as well as the number twenty.   We can think of it here loosely as what we hold in our hand, God’s Word.  We hold the hope of salvation, deliverance from God’s wrath on our rebellious sin, in the promises of the scriptures which are breathed out by God and where He is spoken of on every page or turn of the scroll.  Though we hold this great treasure in the palm of our hand, still we find ourselves searching through it for comfort in long times of adversity as the psalmist wrote in verse 82.  We hold the answers, but it takes time to mine them through diligence in reading and studying to understand what we hear as we meditate on all God has in commands, promises, and examples for our salvation and sanctification.  Even when we feel totally spent, worn out by circumstances, we hold to those words in our hand and find hope in the journey.  Even as we suffer under the ungodly and await judgment on those opposed to our Lord and His children, even then as we count the days till His return for the final judgment, we seek help from God through the scriptures when righteousness and truth shall rule over us all.  Why?  Because we absolutely know that His word is as faithful as He is, and our help and Hope in persecution are in our Lord as known through that word.  Even if we are driven to the end of ourselves, we adhere to His word in our hearts, minds, words, and walk.  We don’t forget or cast aside His precepts, but continually build our lives upon His words of life.  When we fail and fall, He lifts us up in such kindness and love for restoration and renewal so that we can go on keeping His word as the testimony of His mouth placed in the palm of our hand to hold as our own treasure and hope.  Of course, the living Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14) held in the palm of our hand reminds us how He holds us in the palm of His own hand in order to keep us until that day (2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 1:6), which is our eternal assurance and perseverance as planned for those who are called, chosen, and faithful (Revelation 17:14).  As Psalm 31:15 tells us, our times are in the palm of His hand.