 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. 4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. Meditation The promises at the beginning of the Psalm are inviting- Deliverance from trouble, life, blessed land, and health (1-3). Is the Psalmist a prosperity theologian? No- These are promises of the covenant (Leviticus 26:1-13), available to all who trust the Lord. The riches of God’s grace are found through the door of acknowledging you are poor. David petitioned God from his poverty, pleading for God to be gracious to him (4, 10). David had a poverty of spirit, knowing he needed forgiveness for his sin (4). David had a poverty of hope and security, knowing he needed rescue from both enemies and friends who betrayed him (5-9). Jesus, though He was rich, for your sake became poor so that through His poverty you may become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus used this Psalm (9) in one of His poorest moments, the night He was betrayed (Matthew 26:21-25), so that in our poorest moments we might have the richness of His grace. The blessing of the Lord at the conclusion of the Psalm (13) is the fullness of the promise at the beginning (1). Bless the Lord who considers the poor! And blessing is found for those who realize their poverty and turn to the Lord for the riches of His grace. When we consider the poor we will know the power and promises of the covenant of grace. When we live out of our own poverty we will experience the riches of His covenant faithfulness on a whole new level. Richly Dwelling -Which of the promises of the covenant seen in 1-3 are most inviting to you? -Do you see and know your personal poverty, crying out for God to be gracious to you? -How does the Lord giving you the riches of His grace strengthen you to consider the poor, others who are struggling with sin, hope, and security? Who do you need to reach out to provide power, considering the poor? Key Verse 4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” Comments are closed.
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