January 21, 2015--I Need You

Psalm 86

¹Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

²Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;

³be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long.

⁴Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

⁵For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.

⁶Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my cry of supplication.

⁷In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me.

⁸There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.

⁹All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

¹⁰For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

¹²I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

¹³For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

¹⁴O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life, and they do not set you before them.

¹⁵But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

¹⁶Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl.

¹⁷Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

As I read this psalm I find it a wonderful psalm to pray, verse by verse.  It begins by the acknowledgement that I need the Lord, I can’t do life on my own.  One of the false assumptions we as humans make is that we can—if we just work harder, work longer.  Yes, we may need to do this too, but if you are doing your best and all you can and it isn’t working—you need help.  The psalmist expresses his/her trust in the Lord.  

When we read the lesson last Sunday in regards to Samuel’s call and Eli’s instructions… when you hear the voice again, here I am, your servant is listening I expressed the need for us to spend more time listening in prayer.  As I read this psalm this morning, prayed it; I then paused… show me a sign of your favor… because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me---and then I was silent, listening and basking in the presence of our Lord.