Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 1: Psalms 1–17

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Psalm 9 with John Chrysostom – Trusting in God Those who know your name trust in you (v. 10). In other words, those who know you, your support and assistance, trust in you as sufficient anchor, sufficient assistance, secure tower, the one who not only promises relief from problems but does not permit us to be alarmed by present problems. You see, people who are rid of human concerns and dependent on hope from above not only secure for themselves the speediest freedom from problems but are not even alarmed and disturbed by the problems themselves, helped as they are by that undying hope. Greater, in fact, than the sway based on fear is the security based on trust in God. The one is human, the other divine and invincible. If, however, he does not relieve the problems at once, this too proves to be for your testing. You see, though he is quite capable of not allowing troubles to happen to you, he does allow them to make you stronger. Though quite capable of giving you relief from the beginning, he delays and postpones to increase your stamina, exercise your hope and make your trust in him more zealous. His habit is not to allow you to suffer hardship to the point of growing weary, nor enjoy relief to the point of giving up. He does not ignore the cries of the afflicted (v. 12). Note once again the esteem in which the afflicted are held. Now, he is referring not simply to the needy but to those poor in spirit, as Christ says (Matt 5:3). These most of all are heard when they pray, you see, the humble and contrite