Psalm 86:1-13
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
To succeed in recovery, we need to have an accurate view of ourselves and of God. The psalmist here is honest about his weaknesses: "I am poor and needy" (verse 1). He also has a good image of God as "good and forgiving" (verse 5), and can "do wondrous things" (verse 10). When we accurately see ourselves as weak and God as great, then we can have teachable spirits. Thus he asks for God to teach him (verse 11), and to "unite my heart", meaning to not be constantly swayed between belief and unbelief, praising God one moment and sinning the next, but to have a steadfast faith. Then we will learn to "fear Your name" (verse 11) and experience God's love and deliverance (verse 13).
Lord, I am poor and needy, but You are great. Teach me Your way.
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
To succeed in recovery, we need to have an accurate view of ourselves and of God. The psalmist here is honest about his weaknesses: "I am poor and needy" (verse 1). He also has a good image of God as "good and forgiving" (verse 5), and can "do wondrous things" (verse 10). When we accurately see ourselves as weak and God as great, then we can have teachable spirits. Thus he asks for God to teach him (verse 11), and to "unite my heart", meaning to not be constantly swayed between belief and unbelief, praising God one moment and sinning the next, but to have a steadfast faith. Then we will learn to "fear Your name" (verse 11) and experience God's love and deliverance (verse 13).
Lord, I am poor and needy, but You are great. Teach me Your way.