"Poor and Needy" Psalm 86: We Need More of God

We Need More of God

Are you poor and needy? In Psalm 86 David, the great king of Israel, calls on his Lord and tells him of his poverty and need (Psalm 86:1). But how can David of all people be poor? What needs can he have? He has the same needs as all men; he is poor in spirit. His poverty is a spiritual poverty. His need is to have more of God and so is ours.

He asks God to "preserve his life, for I am holy" (Psalm 86:2). He is not talking about spiritual perfection but about his steadfast trust and loyalty to God. David asks for mercy and for his soul to be made joyful because he knows the forgiveness, mercy, and goodness of God. He knows, as much as any of us can, the heart of God (Psalm 86:3-5).

David continues his prayer, confident that God will answer when trouble comes. How does he know this? David, a man of prayer, doesn’t just ask God for his desires, but he actively seeks to know God more fully. Over the years, his relationship with God has become stronger, his trust deeper, and his love more certain.

Praise God and Remember His Truth

But David’s prayers are not only requests, they are also filled with praise grounded in the truth of who God is. He gives all praise to God his king for his power and his mighty deeds. He even hints at a time when all nations will worship Him (Psalm 86:8-10). He knows that all those foreign gods made of wood or metal, made by the hands of man, have no power. All honor and glory goes to his God for as he says, "You alone are God " (Psalm 86:10). Having declared the greatness of the one true God, David now opens his heart to learn from Him.

Teach Me Your Ways

He pleads with God to teach him His ways so that he can walk in truth. David has enough humility to realize that he still doesn't know all of God's ways. We are the same, therefore we cannot remain content with what we already know of God. There is always more we can learn and we do this through humbly acknowledging our need and spending time in Scripture.

David asks God to unite his heart so that he will fear God's name. Who can stand before the holy Almighty (Psalm 86:11-13)? Awed by God’s holiness, David responds with fresh praise and renewed confidence in the mercy that has already rescued him.

Delivered from Death

David sends his praise and promises to glorify God forever. Why? Because in God's infinite mercy he has delivered David's soul from Sheol (Psalm 86:12-13). Sheol was the place of the dead. So many times before, God had saved David's life in the many dangerous circumstances he found himself in. This is why he trusts Him now. From the giant Goliath to running for his life from Saul, God was merciful. In a deeper sense, God saves all who call on Him from destruction through the mercy He has given us at the cross.

And now David finds himself once more pursued by godless men who would kill him. These men have no fear of God. David contrasts the compassion, graciousness, long-suffering (patience), and mercy of God to these proud and violent men (Psalm 86:14-15). When we pray do we remind ourselves that our God is everything our enemies are not?

We may not have a band of murderers chasing us like David, but our enemies are just as real and just as dangerous. We may have fear, anger, persecution, envy, and pride trying to overtake us. God is our power through His Holy Spirit to conquer our enemies. Therefore we must rely on His Spirit, not our own strength, to overcome them.

Knowing the faithful character of God, David brings his present danger before the Lord with simple, trusting prayer. Because David recognizes his spiritual poverty, his response is not pride but dependence. So he begins to ask God for what he cannot provide for himself.

Pray for God's Strength

He asks for strength, not in himself, but in God's strength and God's mercy on him. David doesn't presume that God will give him these things. He asks. "Ask and it shall be given. Knock and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 6:10, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might."

David asks God to send a sign, one that his pursuers will know is from God. This sign will cause his enemies to have shame because they will know that God has reached down from Heaven to console and help him. This would prove that God protects those who put their trust in Him. By this the evil people who wish to harm David will know that God is on his side and not theirs (Psalm 86:16-17) .

Can you see in your own life times when God has consoled and helped you? Have you felt His protection over you? When we trust in God and His mercy towards us, we can have assurance that whatever happens, God means it for good because He watches over us like a shepherd cares for his flock (Romans 8:28). We may not see it immediately, but ultimately we will.

God is Our Watchful Shepherd

In Psalm 100:3 we are told, "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." Our great Shepherd watches over us with love and tender mercies. The Shepherd would never cause harm to His sheep. Yet in His wisdom and love, He may discipline us, or in His sovereignty, allow suffering. If the world harms us, it can still bring glory to Him. David had been a shepherd in his youth. He knew the Shepherd of his soul was trustworthy to watch over him and would protect him, just as He does for us today.

We know that our Shepherd laid down His life for us and took it up again so that we could live eternally with Him. We should, like David, ask for God to strengthen us while we live in this world. As David did, let us humbly pray that God will be merciful to us, a sinner.

Poor and Needy

We are all poor and needy. We cannot ignore our need; instead we must seek Him and His truth daily. God will give strength for the weary, as He has promised. Let us persevere in doing good, trusting Him, and praising Him for all the miraculous blessings He has provided us. Pray that God will open our eyes to His wondrous provisions so we can have more of God.

Lord, we are poor and needy—teach us Your ways, strengthen us by Your mercy, and help us walk in the fear of Your name today. Amen