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1 <A Prayer of David.>

Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2From thee let my vindication come! Let thy eyes see the right!

3If thou triest my heart, if thou visitest me by night, if thou testest me, thou wilt find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.

4With regard to the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5My steps have held fast to thy paths, my feet have not slipped.

6I call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God; incline thy ear to me, hear my words.

7Wondrously show thy steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at thy right hand.

8Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of thy wings,

9from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.

10They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

11They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.

12They are like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.

13Arise, O LORD! confront them, overthrow them! Deliver my life from the wicked by thy sword,

14from men by thy hand, O LORD, from men whose portion in life is of the world. May their belly be filled with what thou hast stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their babes.

15As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form. (Psalms (RSV) 17)

As indicated by the heading this is a prayer of David, but even more so it is a prayer of Christ to God the Father. Unlike other psalms which normally contain brief prayers this psalm is almost entirely a prayer. The first verse reminds us of the words of Eusebius of Caesarea concerning prayer. “The ears of God do not hear words offered from lying lips, but they receive any word received from a cleansed tongue accustomed to meditating on divine words.” We should ask ourselves how often we pray expecting an answer when we are in a state of sin. Why should we even expect God to hear us when we are far from Him.

Only Christ can pray the words of verses 3 through 5. The rest of us at some time or another have fallen short and have sinned. Through God’s grace we are able to overcome and pray this prayer just as David did after he had had the opportunity to kill king Saul. We need to always remember that the path of righteousness is made easy if we rely on God’s help. Without His help the path to vices is always easy and slippery.

Verses 6 and 7 remind us that we can only approach the Lord because of His great mercy. Because of His mercy we can be sure that He will hear us and answer us. In verse 8 the psalmist asks God to protect him to hide him in the shadow of His wings. In other words hide me in thy mercy and love. God’s love and mercy are so great that we can depend upon these attributes of God to protect us if we call out to Him in love. After asking God for protection the Psalmist asks Him to rise up and provide physical protection. He asks to be delivered by the sword. We need to remember that the sword is the word of God and if we use it correctly it is our sword and protection from those who would lead us astray.

The psalm ends with the psalmist letting God know that he will be satisfied beholding God. Today we can behold God only dimly through scripture. In the future we shall behold Him in all His glory.

1 <A Miktam of David.>

Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.

2I say to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee.”

3As for the saints in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

4Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their libations of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

5The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.

6The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

8I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.

10For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.

11Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. (RSV 16)

This is a Psalm of Christ’s resurrection. For us it also is a prayer of hope in our resurrection.  In the first verse Jesus in His humanity ask the Father to save Him. For His hope is always in the Father.  In the second verse He confirms that the Father is His and that He has no good apart from Him.  As we pray this psalm we can pray just as the Lord did for our salvation knowing that we too can have eternal life with God.

Verse 4 reminds us that if we choose a god other than the One True God our sorrows will be increased. At times it may seem as if those who choose the gods of this world are having a happy life, but what counts is not the short term happiness we have here on earth but the long term — eternal — happiness we will have in the next world.

Verses 5 and 6 remind us that the Lord is our portion (our inheritance). He provides us with all the graces we need. If we follow Him we will have internal peace.  In verses 7 and 8 Jesus thanks the Father for the wisdom and counsel that He gives Him in the night. He does nothing without the Father. This should be a reminder to us that we need to always be looking to the Lord for counsel. We should look to the Lord for guidance in all that we do.

In the next three verses Jesus shows his hope in being with the Father again. He reminds us that He will not be given up to hell but will be in heaven. Through His resurrection we can have hope in obtaining eternal life.

<A Psalm of David.>

O LORD, who shall sojourn in thy tent? Who shall dwell on thy holy hill?

2He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and speaks truth from his heart;

3who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

4in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5who does not put out his money at interest, and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalms (RSV) 15)

The Psalmist starts out this Psalm by asking the question most of us want answered. What must I do to spend eternity with You O Lord? Deep within ourselves we know that there is something we must do if we are to spend eternity with God. Here the Psalmist provides us with an answer. He list ten virtues that those who know and trust the Lord should practice. Our faith is shown through the practice of these virtues.

In the second verse we are told to walk blamelessly and do what is right. In other words to be just. Justice in many ways is the mother of all virtue. Unlike other virtues which please the one practicing the virtue justice pleases others. We should strive to be just to others at all times and in all settings. Next we are told to speak truth from the heart.  God id truth and He expect us to always speak the truth.

Closely related to speaking the truth are the next three things are are told to avoid; slander others with our tongue, do evil to our friends and take up reproach against our neighbor. These three things may be the hardest for us to refrain from doing. Quite often we don’t even realise how we are hurting someone when we make a negative comment about them; the damage we cause to their reputation. Today it has almost become second nature for us to talk about others.

Verse 4 reminds us that we need to focus on modeling ourselves after those who fear the Lord, not on those who are wicked. We should ask ourselves who we look up to? Do they walk in the way of the Lord or in the way of the world?

The Psalms final command is to not lend money at interest nor take bribes against the innocent. Today lending money at interest is so common we almost never think about lending money without interest. But certainly we need to be aware of the damage that can be done when money is lent at high interest rates or lent to people who are unable to pay it back. In our personal dealings with others we should be extremely cautions about lending money at interest.

The final verse gives us confidence in that the Lord will keep us His if we do these things.

<To the choirmaster. Of David.> The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good.

2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely, that seek after God.

3They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one.

4Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD?

5There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.

6You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.

7O that deliverance for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad. (Psalms (RSV) 14)

This Psalm is a call for God to make His salvation known. Who is the fool in the first verse? He is not someone who has limited intelligence, rather he is someone who is morally deficient. Today we have many people around who would fit the biblical definition of a fool. We have the intellectuals who claim there is no God. We have people who profess to believe in God, yet live their life as if He did not exist.  And just as in the time when this Psalm was written they are corrupt and do abominable things.  As we look around us we can see sin everywhere. Like the psalmist we can come to the conclusion that there are none who do good.

As we look at the sin around us we may become depressed, thinking things will continually get worse. In the second verse we are reminded that God is in control. He is looking down upon us, in the end all will be as He intends.  Verses 4 and 5 point out that the fool dose not know God. The fool does not want to know God. One day though God will come to judge and then those who refused to recognise Him will be in great terror. But those who the fool tried to confound and lead astray will be taken care of.

We end the psalm being reminded God will restore the fortune of His people. Those who truly believe and follow Him will be rewarded.

<To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.>

How long, O LORD? Wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”; lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5But I have trusted in thy steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

6I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms (RSV) 13)

This is a Psalm  to be prayed when we are suffering and it seems as if God is far from us.  This Psalm was written by David after he had sinned with Bathsheba and felt cut off from God. It should also remind us of Christ’s prayer in the garden prior to His Crucifixion. David suffered due to his own sin; Christ suffered due to our sin.

Often in life it seems as if God has forgotten us. He has not forgotten us. We may have turned away from Him or He may be trying to teach us something.  Just as the Psalmist prayed in verses 3 and 4 for God to open his eyes we need to pray to God to open our eyes. Have we done something to offend God? Do we need to repent and return to Him? Or is God teaching us something and we need to be patient and wait on Him?  God will in due time answer us just as through Samuel God answered David.

Through our struggles we need to remember all that God has done for us. All the gifts He has given us. Thank Him and praise Him.

<To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.> Psalm of David.>

Help, LORD; for there is no longer any that is godly; for the faithful have vanished from among the sons of men.

2Every one utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,

4those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is our master?”

5″Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

7Do thou, O LORD, protect us, guard us ever from this generation.

8On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men. (Psalms (RSV) 12)

St. Athanasius says to say this psalm when evil is spreading everywhere and there seems no one is left who is pleasing to God. This certainly is a Psalm for our day. It seems as if evil is spreading everywhere. Abortions take place daily. Traditional marriage is being threatened. Religious liberty is under attack. We need to pray this Psalm daily asking for God to protect us and strengthen us. The first two verses of this Psalm tells us of the evil that abounded at the time the Psalm was written which is similar to the evil of our time. Yet the Psalmist did not ask the Lord to destroy the sinners.

In verse 3 the Psalmist ask that their tongues and lips be cut off. Our prayer should always be for the conversion of our enemy, not their destruction. God wills that all be saved, so must we. In verse 5 God the Father answers saying that he will now arise and aid the poor and suffering. This according to St. Augustine refers to the Father sending His son Jesus to save us.

In verse 6 we are reminded that the promises of God are pure. God’s word is exceedingly pure and untainted with falsehood. We finish the Psalmist asking God once again for His protection knowing that He is with us always.

<To the choirmaster. Of David.>

In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to the mountains;

2for lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

3if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do”?

4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men.

5The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence.

6On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (Psalms (RSV) 11)

This psalm encourages all that are wronged to hope in God. St Athanasius said “If anyone wishes to disturb you, hold on strongly to your confidence in the Lord and say Psalm 11.” We need to learn to take refuge in the Lord for all our needs. Trusting in the things of this world make us vulnerable to all kinds of problems. If are hope is in God we can be certain that no matter what comes our way we will be able to handle it, and the final result will be eternal happiness with God. The wicked may be out to cause us to stumble, but if we keep our eyes on the Lord we will be safe. We need to have a strong foundation based on the Word of the Lord as transmitted to us by the Church.  A strong foundation in the faith keeps us from being led astray by false doctrines or by the things of the world.

Remember the Lord is always watching from His throne in heaven. He is always in control. He is always exercising His providence and care. He is pursuing wrong doers and helping the wronged. He rewards the wronged and punishes the wicked. He is always working to bring about good. God is always there testing the good and the bad. His test provide the good with opportunity to show God our love for Him. The wicked always have an opportunity to repent. In the end those who have put their trust in God will see His face. They will obtain eternal life with God.

Why dost thou stand afar off, O LORD? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble

2In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes which they have devised.

3For the wicked boasts of the desires of his heart, and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.

4In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

5His ways prosper at all times; thy judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

6He thinks in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

7His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the hapless,

9he lurks in secret like a lion in his covert; he lurks that he may seize the poor, he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10The hapless is crushed, sinks down, and falls by his might.

11He thinks in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

12Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thy hand; forget not the afflicted.

13Why does the wicked renounce God, and say in his heart, “Thou wilt not call to account”?

14Thou dost see; yea, thou dost note trouble and vexation, that thou mayest take it into thy hands; the hapless commits himself to thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

15Break thou the arm of the wicked and evildoer; seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16The LORD is king for ever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.

17O LORD, thou wilt hear the desire of the meek; thou wilt strengthen their heart, thou wilt incline thy ear

18to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalms (RSV) 10)

How often do we feel just as the Psalmist does, that God is far from us? This is a common feeling for most of us especially in times of trouble or suffering. We must remember that God in reality is not far from us He is always with us. At times He lets us feel as if we are alone, but we are not alone. He is with us and when the time is right He will let us feel His presence. Just like any good parent He is there but yet not there that we may learn and grow.

How accurately verses 3 & 4 describe many today. The wicked today lack true wisdom and spiritual resources. They do not desire the good, but rather the more pleasing and desirous things. They want their pleasures now. They do not want to know of God. Verses 5 through 11 describe the wicked man. He thinks all will go well for him. He does not have to worry he has everything he needs. He can live his life so that his bodily pleasures are always taken care of. He always puts himself first. The only thing that matters is today. To him there is no God.

In the final versus the psalmist lets us know that in the end justice will prevail. God is always there to help the poor in spirit and to judge those who refuse to accept His grace.

<To the choirmaster: according to Muthlabben. A Psalm of David.>

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.

2I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High.

3When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before thee.

4For thou hast maintained my just cause; thou hast sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

5Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6The enemy have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities thou hast rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.

7But the LORD sits enthroned for ever, he has established his throne for judgment;

8and he judges the world with righteousness, he judges the peoples with equity.

9The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

10And those who know thy name put their trust in thee, for thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek thee.

11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!

12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13Be gracious to me, O LORD! Behold what I suffer from those who hate me, O thou who liftest me up from the gates of death,

14that I may recount all thy praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in thy deliverance.

15The nations have sunk in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid has their own foot been caught.

16The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah

17The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before thee!

20Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah (Psalms (RSV) 9)

We are called to love the Lord with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind. This means that we are not to be have thoughts divided between God and the things of the world. The Psalmist tells the Lord that he is thankful for all that God has done for him with his heart and will tell everyone how marvelous his God is. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we love God with our whole heart and our we willing to show it in our words and deeds. Like the psalmist if we love the Lord with our whole heart we will want to tell the world of all the wondrous things He has done for us and give praise to Him all of the time.

In verses 3 and 4 we are reminded that God is always there for us. At some point we know God will judge each of us and reward or punish appropriately. In the next several verses the psalmist elaborates on God justice. Verse seven reminds us that God’s judgement is always righteous and equitable.

Verses nine and ten lets us know that if we trust in God for our salvation and seek Him we will not be forsaken. According to verse 11 and 12 we are reminded God does not forsake those who are afflicted for His sake. In the next two verses the psalmist is asking for future blessings. We need to remember that we are always in need of God’s help.

Verses 15 and 16 remind us that we bring condemnation on ourselves by our wrong doing.  By our own hand we shall be condemend to hell. God gives us plenty of opportunities to turn to Him, but if we don’t we can expext His just judgement.

The psalm ends with the psalmist pleading for God to remember the needy.

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted

2by the mouth of babes and infants, thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

3When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established;

4what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?

5Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor.

6Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet,

7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea.

9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! (Psalms (RSV)

This Psalm opens with great praise for our Lord and savior. As we pray this first verse we should be reminded of all Jesus has done for us: He opened the gates of heaven; provided us with a means of salvation; darkness was banished. We are also reminded that His glory is so great it is above the heavens. From our perspective we can only see His glory the same as Moses saw it. We only see the backside of his glory. Verse 2 reminds us that our faith needs to be as that of a child. Without the faith of a child know matter how much we study the things of God we will remain far away from Him. The next verse helps to point this out to us. If we look to the heavens with faith we can see the greatness of God’s creation. Without faith we are like a great number today’s intellectuals who look at the exact same thing and see all of life as chance.

In verse 4 the Psalmist ask “what is man that thou art mindful of you.” This is a question we might ponder for a long time. Who are we that God cares about us? Why are we worthy of His attention.  Scripture tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God. For this reason He cares about us and has done everything to provide us with a means to obtain life everlasting with Him.

Verse 5 refers to Christ who because of His love for us became man. As St Paul put it “He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” He became a little less than the angels for the sake of our salvation.  The palmist then goes on to show us the greatness of Jesus Christ. Everything in heaven and on earth is under His dominion.

With the psalmist we should frequently pray “O Lord, our Lord how majestic is thy name in all the earth.”