Psalm 55 (54):9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The sea was raging, and the boat carrying the disciples was being tossed to and fro; yet Christ slept among them. Eventually, they recognized that the Lord and Creator of the winds was resting in their midst; they approached Him and awakened Christ (Matthew 8:24-25). He commanded the winds, and a profound stillness followed.

Your heart may be troubled for good reason, as you may have neglected the One in whom you have placed your faith: your suffering could be unbearable because you have forgotten that Christ was born for your sake. If Christ does not occupy your thoughts, He sleeps; rouse Him, and remember your faith. For it is true that when you forget the sufferings of Christ, He slumbers within you; but if you reflect on His trials, He awakens in your heart. When you earnestly contemplate the extent of His suffering, will you not also find the strength to endure with grace? Perhaps, rejoice that you share even a small resemblance to the afflictions of your King. So, as you ponder these truths and begin to find comfort and joy, remember: He is risen, He has silenced the winds; hence, there is great calm. I have sought Him who can rescue my spirit from weakness and the storms of life.

Your retreat is blessed if you resist the urge to glance back, yearning for worldly pleasures, ‘remembering Lot's wife’ (Luke 17:32), who turned from the path leading to salvation towards her lost city and its ruinous fate. Your dwelling is also sanctified when you seek, in this desert monastery, not merely rest for your body but salvation for your spirit; not companionship of men but divine favor. If you uphold your refuge against temptations and, like a steadfast anchor, place your trust in God who 'saves' you and shields you from your own timidity and from the violent storms that assail. If you need assurance of God’s care to fortify your trust, consider how this monastery, for many years, has flourished with seekers of salvation, never lacking life’s essential needs. Even now, God is enriching this place through the dedicated efforts of the faithful, multiplying its sanctity with a newly consecrated temple, offering you renewed comfort for the elderly and the sick among you. May blessings abound for those who bear fruit and exhibit virtue in this holy sanctuary; we give thanks to God, our greatest benefactor! May our hearts be anchored in the Lord!

Hope, one of the three theological virtues, forms a cornerstone of the Christian’s spiritual perfection in this life and the foundation of future bliss. 'Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love' (1 Cor. 13:13). Although 'hope' may not be the greatest virtue, it is essential; for without it, even the most ardent faith could falter. It is challenging to ascend beyond the first or second spiritual level and especially precarious in spiritual pursuits, where both the essence and order of spiritual truths remain more steadfast than those of the material world. Thus, if you desire to ascend towards heaven, you must learn to embrace this spiritual elevation known as 'hope' and strive to truly enter this state. It can be said that neglecting 'hope' from the spiritual ladder would cause one to falter in all other virtues. What greater power exists than that of faith? The Lord assures us: 'Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him' (Mark 11:23). This passage illustrates that the astonishing power of faith achieves its work only with the supportive embrace of hope. For when it states, 'If he speaks... and does not doubt in his heart,’ it implies the words of faith must be fortified in the heart 'by the power of hope' (Rom. 15:13).

If a believer, who has not attained the fullness of hope, wishes to express a word of faith, even if not seeking to move a mountain but to address an obstacle on the path to salvation, his mind may waver, presenting thoughts of difficulty: that divine assistance is not universally bestowed, and that the age of miracles has passed. Such despair can lead to a fracturing of faith, and the effectiveness of his words may diminish, thwarting the accomplishment of his intentions. Thus, one lacking in the pursuit of perfect hope may fall away from genuine faith. Concerning ‘love,’ although it is destined to surpass hope, remaining eternal and triumphant leading into the glorious Kingdom of God where all will possess what they once hoped for, it is equally true that in the interim, during our preparation for this eventuality, love cannot thrive nor develop without faith and hope. Faith gives rise to love, while hope, alongside faith, nurtures it. 'He who comes to God must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him' (Hebrews 11:6). The aspiration for reward belongs to 'hope'.

There are instances where distinguished ascetics, out of profound love for God and neighbor, might seem to sacrifice hope. Moses asked for his name to be removed from God's book, while Paul desired separation from Christ for the sake of his fellow Israelites. Yet, such extraordinary instances do not negate the ordinary, but rather illuminate its necessity through their rarity. The love of Moses and Paul, even in their exceptional fervor, did not renounce hope but elevated it; forgetting their own hope, they nurtured a higher, divine hope—the hope of God's glory manifested through the salvation of His chosen people. Paul provides another insight into the dignity of hope, asserting, 'We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope; and hope does not disappoint' (Rom. 5:2-5).

How valuable is hope when it fills the soul with profound well-being that the Apostle cannot contain, but rather reveals by 'boasting in hope!' How potent is hope when the Apostle firmly asserts that it 'will not be put to shame,' meaning, it will never deceive those who place their trust in it. Hope is victorious when it empowers us to endure 'tribulations' with joy and even pride. It is of great worth, as the Apostle declares, when he specifies that it is acquired through 'experience, perseverance, tribulations.' Let us approach this treasure with diligence and care. It may seem costly, as shortsighted self-indulgence would claim; indeed, it costs us tribulations! Reflect upon this: if you are unwilling to bear tribulations to obtain a soul’s salvation, you will instead suffer them without benefit, or worse, to the detriment of your soul. For since sin has brought forth tribulation, who lives free from it? Is it not wiser to endure such challenges in a way that they yield perseverance, character, and ultimately hope, transforming trials into joy and glory? To facilitate the acquisition of trust in God, let us consider His omnipotence, wisdom, goodness, the faithfulness of His promises, and above all, His immeasurable mercy in Jesus Christ, who the Apostle refers to as 'our hope' (1 Tim. 1:1).

"I will not be defeated," declares the Lord, bolstering our hope in Him. What challenges cannot His infinite wisdom navigate? What sin cannot His goodness defeat? 'As I live,' declares the Lord, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn from their ways and live' (Ezek. 33:11). By this divine essence, He upholds His saving promise—what could be truer than this assurance? (Rom. 8:32). Lastly, it is vital to note in our brief reflections on hope that God grants hope to repentant sinners, not to those who carelessly scorn His commands. The repentant who hopes magnifies God’s infinite mercy; the one who hopes without repentance blasphemes God, misrepresenting Him as a supporter of iniquity. Lord, may all who receive this message be bestowed with the hope of repentance and eternal salvation, so that glory may rise to You, O Christ God, our hope, forever and ever. Amen.

This highlights the extreme plight to which David was subjected; forgetting the kingdom pledged to him, he was consumed by fear and contemplated fleeing from his homeland, yearning to seclude himself in the wilderness, understanding that his only hope of escaping the ferocity of his enemies lay in divine intervention. "Behold I will flee away, and I will dwell in the wilderness." David, overtaken by the fury of his foes, does not shy away from a long journey, seeks no ceasefire, and does not dally as those who cling to some measure of hope might; rather, he strives to escape to the refuge that promises safety. This indicates the depth of his distress, as he was willing to relinquish everything to preserve his life. It is thus unsurprising that, faced with such peril, his heart quaked and was gripped by profound terror. As per our translation, the phrase "I will watch for God who saves me" illustrates that David, concealed in the wilderness, focused solely on meditating upon God and invoking the omnipotent hand of the Lord, who had formerly delivered him and, in His compassion, could grant him salvation once more amid this time of crisis.