Psalm 86:1-7
Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
I love the psalms of David. His words echo through the centuries and touch my heart strings just as I imagine his fingers sweeping across his harp from the hillsides of Judea as a shepherd boy. This particular song, however, is not one from his youth, but is a cry to God as an adult for rescue from a band of wicked men who were seeking his life. This psalm resonates with me, not because I share similar circumstances, but because I share the very same God.
David calls out to God using several of His names, the first being Jehovah, the self-existent One, the eternal God. Sometimes I think we forget who God really is, mainly because we never really take the time to get to know Him as we ought. Each of us have our own opinions of God, but the Scripture reveals to us His true character.
I used to often think of God as an angry Judge, always looking for ways to punish me for messing up. I still struggle with this image in my mind. While it is true that God is a Judge who will punish sin, the Scriptures clearly state that as His child, He has pardoned my sin or declared me not guilty for the crimes against His holiness that I have committed, because of Christ’s payment for my sins on the cross. So as His child, I have the privilege of approaching God in my distress, just as David did in these recorded words from history.
In verse one, David pleads to the Lord to bow down, to pay attention to his cry because he is poor and needy—meaning depressed in mind and circumstances, destitute and in emotional want. David was distraught and in his need he turned to the only One that could provide the help that he needed. David continues his plea in verse two, begging God to protect him, to save his life because he has committed his life to God. The word “servant” means bondslave—one who has committed his entire being to his Master for the entire length of his life. He was not counting down the days until his contract was up—he was fully committed to God until his last breath. Why? Because his Master was his God, Elohiym, the Supreme God above all gods. The One deserving of his complete surrender and the One that David trusted completely as a refuge in times of trouble. All of David’s hope was in his God. He continues to appeal to God in verse three, asking Him to be merciful and gracious to him—meaning to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior. David’s cry was one of humility. He did not demand God’s help as an anointed king, but cried out as a helpless child. Here he calls to God, his Lord, using the name Adoni meaning his ruler, sovereign, master, owner. As king, David ruled his kingdom with power and authority, but his earthly position mattered little before the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. Yet still he boldly cries out, addressing God by name with passion from deep within his soul. The word “cry” means to call out with the idea of physically accosting someone. Would God have been standing in front of David at that moment, David would have been at His feet, clinging to the hem of His robes, staining them with his tears and pleading loudly for God to intercede for him. David broadens his request, not only to protect him, but to restore joy to his heart once again. David is weary and emotionally spent and with all that he has left within him, he lifts up his heart to his Master and asks Him to show kindness and to make his heart merry in his service as he once was. David knows that he has done wrong, but he also recognizes that God is a good God who is quick to forgive and is abounding in never-ending love to those that call out to Him. David implores the Lord to pour out His merciful love and grace and affirms that he knows God will both hear and answer his prayers.
Do you feel like David did so long ago? Do you feel worn out, beaten down and emotionally spent? Do you feel like everyone is against you and you can’t remember the last time you felt truly happy? Sometimes when life gets us down, we shy away from God. I know that when I’m having a bad day, I don’t feel especially spiritual and I hesitate to turn to God in my need. Even though I know better, I feel like God wouldn’t want to listen to me because I’m not at my spiritual best. I’m not full of hope and rejoicing in the promises of God—I’m tired, worn out and in need of a hug. That’s why I love Psalm 86! It reminds me that I don’t have to clean myself up before I fall at the feet of Jesus, because He is quick to forgive and eager to bow down to me in my need. My God isn’t far away in Heaven refusing to acknowledge my pain because I’m in a valley of discouragement. He is right beside me, wrapping His loving arms around me and holding me while I cry.
I remember times as a young girl, and even as a grown woman, when I would kneel next to my mom in her chair, put my arm around her back, and lay my head on her lap to just be near her. She would gently scratch my back and all my worries seemed to be engulfed in that safe and happy place. Even now, when I am hundreds of miles away from my mom, hearing her voice on the other end of the phone makes everything seem a little better. My Jesus is like that too. Whether or not I am at fault in bringing about my current circumstances, Jesus is always there to make everything right again. Satan whispers to us that we have to do better, or be good enough, or work harder to achieve the presence of God in our lives, but all God wants us to do is to cry out to Him. He wants to extend forgiveness, mercy, grace and kindness to us, no matter how deep of a hole we have gotten ourselves into. He longs to hear our pleas for rescue and He delights in answering our prayers.
If you have God trapped in a box of condemnation and wrath in your mind, I pray that you will find freedom in the words of Psalm 86 tonight. Let loose the chains of Satan’s lies and call out to your Master, who does not enslave you, but gives freedom to all who commit their lives to Him. Cry out to the One who neither faints, nor grows weary, the One who is closer than a brother, the One who has promised to carry you through the trials of this life, protected by His strong arms. Fall at the feet of the Eternal One. Pour out your heart to Him. He longs to listen to every word.