I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise. I will bow down towards your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures for ever – do not abandon the works of your hands.

(Ps 138)

For all the saints who from their labours rest, who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Halleluia, Halleluia!

Thou wast their rock, their fortress and their might; Thou, Lord their captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light. Halleluia, Halleluia!

(W.W. How, 1823-97)

There is an old postcard in my bible, faded and not very attractive, a design which I would not have chosen to buy for myself… so why is it there, after 36 years? Because it was written and given to me by one of the most precious of the saints who graced my early life and young adulthood, a lady called Mary Inglis. Mary never married, but her ‘family’ was huge! Everyone who met her knew that they were loved, that they mattered to God, and the fruit of her prayers and faithful loving service will only be fully known in the new creation, when one by one, untold numbers will seek her out to thank her for the way that she touched their lives!

Mary wrote this card and referred me to this psalm, in a particularly painful and dark time of my life. Her gentleness and love made her words all the more precious, and I have treasured the card ever since – a reminder of a bright spirit wholly surrendered to her Lord, and given over to loving others in his name. The psalm was one she had shared recently with friends, praying together for one another as each in her own way was facing troubles and challenges, and needing that priceless reassurance that the Lord would fulfil his gracious purposes for each one.

I hope that I have learnt from Mary’s example, or that I am still learning from it, since I am a slow learner… I know that to make time to write words of encouragement can be one of the most powerful ways we can show God’s love to one another; I know that to pursue a quiet life of service and love is not to be insignificant in the kingdom; I know that to share one’s journey of faith with others is to be strengthened and made glad, as we see one another growing in faith, see prayers answered, and are renewed in hope. I know too that she would shrink from any great praise, and would direct all such admiration to her beloved Lord and Saviour, delighting only in humble service and shunning pride in any ‘achievements’.

It has been such sweet food for my spirit to take time to remember Mary, and to write of her life and influence on me – I do indeed praise and thank God for all the saints whom I have been blessed to know, and who now rest from their labours. I thank God for their example, and the encouragement it is to remember how they lived by faith, how they clung to Christ in times of trial, and how they loved, oh how they loved!

May God grant us in our turn the wisdom and willingness to serve his church in this way. May we see and take opportunities to love, to recognise and affirm one another; to speak words of encouragement and comfort; to share our own journey of faith. May we in our turn prove the faithfulness of our Lord, and with the psalmist rejoice in his enduring love, resting in the assurance of his will and purpose to fulfil all he has planned for us in his kingdom.