Emuna Hour

In this world, it appears that the cruel and powerful are the ones who succeed. Don't envy them;  their success is temporary at best. In the context of Divine justice, which prevails ultimately, the mighty fall yet the weak and humble inherit the earth.

If Netflix could reproduce even a small portion of the drama in this week's Psalms, they'd break all box-office records. No screenwriter could imagine how King David, a hostage with no dream of escape, finally made his way to freedom.

A soul feels parched and stifled when it lacks Divine light. It also feels dull and unexpressive. King David provides a triple-strength remedy to rejuvenate the soul. You'll feel so good that you'll soon be singing your own new song.

What do you do when you're pinned down in a nasty crossfire? How does it feel when bombs are exploding all around you? What do you do when you look at your watch and calculate that your life expectancy is lesson than a minute? Such a picture is amazingly similar to King David's predicament when he wrote these Psalms.

The more a person gets to know the Almighty, the more he or she wants to praise His Name. All of creation knows its Creator and incessantly sings in reverence to Him. Hashem is the ultimate good, omniscient and invincible. He is also absolute truth and justice. Nothing escapes Him, neither the slightest good deed nor the schemes of sinister people. The more we trust in Him, the happier we are.

King David teaches that a humble individual is never lost or bewildered. The truly humble person merits Hashem's personal guidance. That way, he or she is always walking on the right path.

No one suffered the amount and severity of tribulations that King David did. Yet, he found solace in his unswerving trust in Hashem. In history's best-known Psalm, he shows us how to find the calming waters in a world of turbulent seas…

When an infantry squad is pinned down from massive enemy fire, it calls in air or artillery support. When an emergency in life pins us down, we can do even better and follow King David's advice. We call out for Divine support…

King David had one main preparation for battle – Psalm 18. And, when the battle was over, he had one mode of debriefing – Psalm 18. In fact, Psalm 18 was his secret weapon. It worked for King David and it can work for all of us.

What do you do when your heart is breaking? How do you cope when you feel all alone and no one understands what you're up against? Pick up King David's Psalms. King David dealt with the same challenges you deal with now. He has the right words for you, especially in Psalms 14 – 17.

The four highly dramatic Psalms 10, 11, 12 and 13 were King David's cries from the depth of his soul. He felt all alone. He couldn't understand why the evil people were succeeding on all sides and the righteous were downtrodden. His heart ached at the success of the tyrants at the expense of the meek and the helpless. He couldn't understand why Hashem seemed to be closing a blind eye to evil, crime and blasphemy. Then, when all seems lost, King David makes his comback. We can all relate to these four Psalms. Reciting them is a ticket to salvation.

King David teaches us how to live in security, both on a personal and national level. He also provides us with timeless advice for making our prayers much more powerful. These three Psalms are conducive for protecting ourselves against our enemies, both physical and spiritual.