God, My God Come to My Aid

In the psalms we see extremes of emotion, from despair to joy and everything in between. And in the midst we can say that God is our rock, our firm foundation. This Sunday, the Psalm 40 refrain pleas for help, and the verses speak of thanksgiving and trust for being rescued. The psalmist appears to have physically shared the experience of Jeremiah, sinking into the mud at the bottom of a cistern. As Jeremiah is drawn out of the pit, the psalmist experiences God’s saving action.

As we experience daily trials and tribulations, do we look with the eyes of faith and see God, the bedrock of life, supporting us?

I waited and waited for God.

At long last God bent down to hear my complaint
and pulled me from the grave out of the swamp,
and gave me a steady stride on rock-solid ground.

God taught me a new song, a hymn of praise.

Seeing all this, many will be moved to trust in the Most Holy One.

Though I am weak and poor, God cares for me.

My help, my savior, my God, act now!

[verses adapted from The Psalter © 1995, Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications.]