Psalm 86.1 Hear me,
Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
The proper beginning of prayer is the right attitude toward God: I am poor and needy. Attributed to
David, this psalm teaches us the right attitude: humility before God. It is one thing to have humility, it is
another to be humiliated. If I humiliate myself in humility before God I am
better prepared for humiliation in front of men.
Humility is the act and attitude toward God that I
do not have the resources to help myself save the attitude of: but God You do. It’s an admission of
neediness that is crucial in the heart of the believer. When trials come, it is
in our best interest to humble ourselves before the Lord and cry out: Lord! I
have no way out of this, but You do! That is the attitude of the humble.
The one who runs ahead of the Lord will find only humiliation
in trying to help God. If we truly want to “help” the Lord, then our attitude needs
to be: I am poor and needy and the only
thing I bring into this situation is myself to watch in amazement as You bring
me through it and teach me.
And so, David prayed: Teach
me your way, Lord that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided
heart, that I may fear your name. (V11). In times of trouble the only thing
of value is God’s faithfulness. And so, in times of trouble, we have to learn to hold God’s faithfulness in a
high position because His faithfulness is the only thing that will see us
through. His way is faithfulness. Teach me, O God!
And David prayed: You,
Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. (V.5)
It’s not tit for tat; it’s that God loves it when we give up on ourselves and
trust only in Him. The difficulty in that is what’s inside us that screams at
us to take action on our own. If there is a miracle in the life of an ordinary
person it is simply this: the power to
rely wholly and solely upon God when everything in him says to do otherwise.
God is abounding in love to all who call wholly and solely upon Him.
Because: “Among the
gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.” The
one who trusts, knows what God does and isn’t afraid of the results however
they manifest themselves. Because: But
you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in
love and faithfulness. (V.15)
And here, lastly, is the kicker: But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger,
abounding in love and faithfulness. (V.15) God is so vastly different than
He is imagined to be. For one, I am glad about that. God doesn’t rub my nose in
my sins and mistakes; He loves, restores and encourages me to repent, renew,
and remember: He is gracious and
compassionate toward us right where we are…
Father, today, I am
poor and needy and I need You! Thank You for Your faithfulness, compassion,
love, and grace. You are forgiving, and good, abounding in love to all who call
on You! Teach me Your way. May my attitude of gratitude result in my spirit
being gladitude! Amen!
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