Metropolitan Anthony (Packanich) about the 36th psalm and its unique feature.

Each verse of one of my favorite psalms is the precious pearl, the highest wisdom.

Brusquely about its meaning we can say: «have faith in the Lord and do good.»

It looks easy, but it is extremely difficult to reach.

The Lord created people with free will, so they can choose their own way of life: the serving the truth, exuding goodness, deeds of mercy, love for people, or trampling over each other, rejecting truth and love, serving themselves and their passions.

The Savior could lead us all to goodness and joy by His will and power, but He leaves this choice to us. He waits for free and loving submission, but not forced, imposed from the outside.

He longs to find faith and self-forgetful love to Him in the human heart and, having found him, saves such a person, gives him everything necessary and beautiful.

It’s stated in the psalm: "So will your delight be in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."

The Lord is ready to fulfill all our cherished and innermost desires, just trust and declare yourself to Him, be with Him, don't run away from Him:

"Put your life in the hands of the Lord; have faith in him and he will do it.

And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun."

At the wish of the Creator, our hearts should become temples of the Holy Spirit — pure, filled with love for the Creator and rejection of the all evil.

"Do you not see that you are God's holy house, and that the Spirit of God has his place in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16):

"Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.

For the evil-doers will be cut off: but those who have faith in the Lord will have the earth for their heritage."

The psalm reveals the secret of prosperity and longevity:

"Be turned from evil, and do good; and your place will be for ever."

If a person sets obedience to God as the main goal of his life, then it will be blessed:

"Be waiting for the Lord, and keep his way; and you will be lifted up, and have the land for your heritage.»

The 36th psalm was written by King David in his old age, and it represents practical advice to a person as a guideline to life.

This is the unique experience of communication with God, of life in God, given to us as a perfect example of faith, it should be like this:strong, comforting, inspiring, beautiful.

The world offers its own laws of survival and existence in it, but all these laws and rules are involved in sin: lies, malefactions. And the vector of further fate depends on our affection and belonging to the world or to God. On the main choice of our whole life.

"The world is a dance where the good, coming from God, collided with the evil, coming from the creature..." — Clive Lewis writes.

It depends only on the good will of each of us whether this dance will become a dance of death or a victory and triumph of the spirit, goodness and love.

Recorded by Natalia Goroshkova