Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33: 20-22)

We wait, are glad, trust, and hope. God helps, defends, and loves.

We trust in God's holy name. We trust in our God's qodesh shem: separate prominence or sacred identity. We have confidence in God's character.

We share in this character. Our identity has its origin in God's identity.

We may try to reject this identity. We often doubt it. We may ignore it. We can twist it until it is barely recognizable.

But God abides in us and with us. God waits for us.