Psalm 109:22

Psalm 109:22

I am poor and needy

This verse reads like a simple cry of self-pity, a plea for the Lord to show mercy and help the beleaguered sovereign to escape from his suffering. There is a little bit more to it! Firstly, as we have seen in other Psalms, when individuals are described as “poor and needy”, (see verse 16) the description does not necessarily apply to their financial plight. When Jesus said “Blessed are the poor”, He was not saying that monetary poverty is the road to spiritual blessing, although some interpret it that way! Being poor and needy is descriptive of a spiritual and mental state, it is when we recognise our weaknesses and our inadequacies, it is when we humble ourselves and think properly about our condition. Best of all, it is when we realise that we are completely dependent on the Lord, and we cannot guarantee our own safety, deliverance or our future happiness. David clearly feels that he is helpless before his enemies and that only the Lord God can save him, and that is being “poor and needy.”

Secondly, the king admits that his heart is wounded within him. The Hebrew word used here for wounded is very similar to the word for “cursed”. What I think David is saying is that his adversary is strutting around dishing out his curses and destroying lives and reputations while he, David the King, is crippled by the deep inner pain that the curses have brought. This is often the consequence of the judgements and torments that others glibly throw at us. In their arrogance they make their pronouncements and carry on as if nothing has happened, meanwhile their helpless victims are stabbed to the heart and recoil in fear and self-doubt, unable to escape from the condemnations that have been heaped upon them.

If you’ve been there or are in that place right now, tell the Lord about it and admit your dependency. He will save you!

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