Lord, your kindness is forever. Do not let go of Your handiwork.” (Ps. 138:8)

So often a package containing a fragile item of merchandise has a message for the letter carrier—-“Handle with care”. If the package is accidentally dropped it is likely to break or shatter, rendering the merchandise worthless, and angering the consumer who purchased it. The delicacy of the item explains why it is recommended that it be insured.

In the 138^th Psalm, a Psalm of Thanksgiving, the Hebrew poet is acutely aware of the fact of his own frailty. He reminds God that he is God’s own handiwork. According to a reputable translator of the Psalms, Robert Alter, God is implicitly figured as a potter in this Psalm who is implored not to loose his hand and allow what he has made to fall and shatter. The Hebrew word, hirpah, which is translated here as “let go”, means to relax the muscle of your hand so that what it holds is dropped or released.

As “vessels of clay” (St. Paul) we can surely sympathize with the Psalmist. – Rev. John J. Yanas