NOTES for Psa 27:7

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.