Drawing on Your Relationship with God

Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

(Psalm 86:1-5)

David, the psalm writer, calls on the Lord. He has a number of requests. Or rather, he makes his one request in a number of ways: Hear me. Preserve my life. Save Your servant. Be merciful to me. Give me joy. Later on in this psalm, he makes additional requests: Give Your strength to Your servant (v. 16). Show me a sign for good (v. 17).

David is not ordering God about. He is drawing on his relationship with God; pulling on the covenant promises God has made. For he and God are friends. In the middle of the psalm (the heart of a psalm is usually located at or near the midpoint), David speaks of His commitment to God: “Teach me Your ways, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name” (v. 11). David is all about God.

God has made a commitment to be there for David, so David calls on the Lord. Notice the basis of his appeals:

“Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; for I am poor and needy.” God has committed Himself to supply David’s need. Remember the 23rd Psalm, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” To want means to be in lack or need.

“Preserve my life, for I am holy.” To be holy means to be set apart for God’s own purpose, and David has been obedient to that purpose. He has been a friend to God and God has been a friend to him.

“You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.” David is not looking anywhere else for his refuge. He does not put his confidence in anyone else, only in God. And faith pleases God. “For those who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

“Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I cry to You all day long.” David has stationed himself before the Lord, and he is not moving from that position of faith. He fully expects the mercy and favor of the Lord to show up on his behalf.

“Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.” David holds nothing back, but is completely devoted to God. He has emptied out his cup so that it might overflow with God, for in the presence of the LORD is fullness of joy.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you are in covenant relationship with God. He has committed Himself to show you His mercy and favor, and help you in every way. Boldly go to Him as your friend. Give yourself completely to Him and let Him fill your cup to overflowing with His abundance.