Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 8: Psalms 131–150

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Psalm 143 with Augustine – Righteousness from God In your faithfulness and righteousness, come to my relief (v. 1). Note the emphasis on your righteousness . For it is a commendation of grace that none of us should think

of our righteousness as our own. It is the righteousness of God, which God has given us to possess. You are perverse when you attribute what you have done wrong to God and what you have done right to yourself. You will be right when you attribute to yourself what you

Augustine on Psalm 143 “You will be right when you attribute to yourself

what you have done wrong and attribute

to God what you have done right.”

have done wrong and attribute to God what you have done right. For when I look at myself, I only find my sin to be my own. Do not hide your face from me (v. 7). You turned it away from me when I was proud. For once I was full, and in my fullness I was puffed up. “When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken’” (Ps 30:6), not knowing your righteousness, and establishing my own. But from you came whatever security I had. And to prove to me that it was from you, “when you hid your face I was dismayed” (Ps 30:6–7). Teach me to do your will, for you are my God (v. 10). Glorious confession! Glorious rule! For you are my God . To another I would hurry to be re-made, if I was made by another. But you are my all. Shall I seek a father to get an inheritance? You are not only the Giver of my inheritance, but my Inheritance itself. “LORD, you alone are my portion” (Ps 16:5). Teach me , for it cannot be that you are my God, and yet I am to be my own master. May