NOTES for Psa 61

In order to say the word "I," one must first of all exist, be alive. My life is everything I have, and everything I meet becomes part of my life. Therefore life is the natural standard with which I compare everything else; life is the ultimate value for me. If there is no life, there is no me. When a person cries within himself, "I do not want to live anymore," behind this stands "I do not want to live LIKE THIS anymore," and not a conscious refusal of existence. But now the psalmist discovers for himself something greater and better than life itself: God's mercy. This mercy is the source of human life; it is also what fills life with meaning and beauty; it is also the foundation for hope that life will not end with death. When we place our life in its proper place in the system of values, after God, "I will bless You in my life," then we truly receive it.

The peace that God gives is not apathy; it is the peace that arises from firm confidence in one’s strength and reliable support. The most secure support comes from the Lord, while the strength He provides surpasses our own natural powers. This is why He is called a secure fortress.

The enemies’ attempts to oppose those whose side the Lord is on are futile, but so are their hopes for the triumph of their own material prosperity. The words about the vanity of earthly wealth seem to appear unexpectedly, but the transition to mentioning it is entirely natural. For a person who places excessive hope in wealth not only forgets God, but also risks putting material prosperity in His place. The Lord can also grant people earthly wealth; it is not necessarily sinful in itself. But everything has its place, and when wealth takes possession of the soul, it cannot help but do harm.

Stern are the warnings addressed to those who acquire sinful wealth. Yet the psalmist sees mercy in just recompense, and therefore a desire to give sinners an opportunity to correct their ways.