In all kinds of difficult circumstances we feel our defenselessness very sharply: so many enemies are around, and we have neither armor nor claws. And in despair our heart clings to the last hope: God can give me protection, surround all who are dear to me with a fortress wall, and cover me myself with a shield. Such an appeal to God, when all one's own means of defense are exhausted, does not remain unanswered. That same God who placed hope in my heart stretches out His help. We see the problems that wound us go away, not because we solve them, but because God protects us from new wounds and heals the old ones. Then a state of inner harmony and peace settles in the healed heart, perfect joy, which can never close itself in, but seeks a way out, seeks the possibility of reaching someone else. Perhaps this is what is called "the soul sings," when one wants to glorify the One who gave this joy, and also to share it with those nearby. Does not Jesus' commandment "love one another" in the Gospel of John immediately follow His words about perfect joy (John 15:11-12)? So, from groaning to song, from fear to love, from defenselessness to openness.

No one is frightening when the Lord is with us. The psalmist repeats this thought many times, but let us notice that here he is not saying that the enemies will be overthrown by the Almighty’s power. No—the enemies “will stumble and fall” by themselves, because they themselves chose the evil that leads them away from the straight path.

The one who knows that the Lord is the sole giver of everything good in the world expresses one desire: to dwell continually with the Lord. The author of the psalms remembers that the Lord can fulfill any request, but he does not intend to beg Him for the good things of life. In this he follows advice that had not yet been spoken: to seek the Kingdom of God, to which all the rest will be added.

By saying, “My heart speaks from You,” the psalmist did more than reveal to us his experience of communion with God. These important words testify that the Lord can communicate His will to people by using our inner world, speaking as if from within our hearts.

And this means that He can be infinitely close to us and will not reject us even if the most loving people abandon us. Therefore, we have hope for the triumph of His truth not only in Eternity but also in the land of the living.