Here the soul must lament with the people of God who have been handed to their enemies. They feel as if God has forgotten them at the least or rejected them at the worst. This Psalm gives us opportunity to reflect on the blessings of knowing that God is our God in both victory and defeat

After learning how God's love is made abundant for all in Romans, chapter 5, Saint Paul goes on to describe very beautifully how the gifts of God's love are delivered to us personally in holy baptism. God's love is not some abstract concept applied generically to all people. Instead, it is a gift delivered individually to us through his holy sacraments.

The psalms pivot in chapter 42 from individual expressions of faith towards focusing on the community of faith. In this episode, we hear how the psalms follow the order of the Pentateuch, and the blessings of seeing faith not only as an individual pursuit, but as a family endeavor.

In this life, it often seems the greedy win and the poor suffer. But when our hearts are set on the Lord's purposes, we live assured of His blessing now and forever, regardless the size of our bank account. Our confidence comes from the One who has blessed us forever in Christ Jesus.

The deep and beautiful interconnectedness of the Old and New Testament are made abundantly clear for us in this chapter. Paul describes how Jesus has undone the damage caused by Adam by his sin in the garden. We are given a master class in the types of Christ that we see in the Old Testament in this chapter.

Sometimes we cry to God because others have sinned against us and it hurts. Other times, we cry to the Lord because we have sinned, and hurt ourselves. In either case, God is the God of mercy, and He forgives and cares for us as only He can.

This penitential psalm gives voice to our cries when we have sinned, and are crushed by shame and guilt. Why do we often end-up on our knees after trying everything in our own power to do things our own way? Good thing Jesus came to save us from ourselves and deliver us from God's wrath. In Him we have a faithful friend.

Here we are reminded of the powerful faith possessed by the patriarch Abraham. He is held before our eyes as a wonderful pattern of faith. Through his example, we come to a better understanding of how we are saved, and then by the same faith, given the ability to do great and wonderful things for others and for God.

The world may look at the "little" of a righteous person and scoff. But greed will never be satisfied. A person of faith, meanwhile, finds all they want or need in the Lord and pursuing His desires.

When God's people embrace the Lord's way, others are blessed by our godly virtues. In a world rent asunder with conflict and violence, God teaches Mercy over Might, Forgiveness instead of Retribution, and Compassion above Condemnation.