Psalm 86:1-17 / Taught to Depend
📘 Scripture
1. Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;
3. have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.
5. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
6. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.
7. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.
8. Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.
9. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
10. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
11. Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
12. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
13. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.
14. Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me—they have no regard for you.
15. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16. Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.
17. Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
📖 Scripture Summary
In his poverty and need, David asks the Lord to guard him and bring him joy. He acknowledges that the Lord is forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to Him. There is none like the Lord, and the nations will worship Him. David asks God to teach him His way and to give him a sign of His goodness so that his enemies may be ashamed.
💬 Reflection
Joy Restored (86:1–10)
In this beautiful prayer, David affirms his faith in God in trusting humility. He is in distress, but he does not resort to complaining or blaming God for his troubles. Instead, he praises the Lord, declaring that there is none like Him and that no deed can compare to His. Too often, our hearts and thoughts are fixed on the troubles we face. Instead of remaining in our despair, we can follow David’s example and call to God for help, reminding ourselves that God is unmatched and there is none like Him. As we praise Him for His greatness and marvelous deeds, our distress will dissipate. Our joy and confidence will be restored as we remember that the powerful and loving God we serve cares for us and guards our lives.
Reflection question: What troubles are you facing? Ask God to show how He is protecting and caring for you so that your joy may be restored.
Teach Me Your Way (86:11–17)
David’s problems are severe. His arrogant foes attack him, certain that they can kill him. They have no regard for God and do not expect God to come to David’s rescue. David unabashedly asks for God’s mercy and for God to teach him His ways. He asks for a sign of God’s goodness so that his enemies will be put to shame as they realize that the Lord is truly with him. Sometimes, when people relentlessly oppose us, we may be unsure how to respond. We can turn to God and ask to see His goodness. We can ask God to teach us His ways so that we can see from His perspective and respond to our difficult situations as He would have us respond.
Reflection question: Try to imagine the difficulties you are facing from God’s perspective. What is He teaching you about His ways?
🙏 Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you that You care for me and guard my life. When I am in distress, teach me Your ways, so that I can see from Your perspective and be restored in my joy and confidence once again. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
✍ Essay
Learning His Way
I am often surprised by the power of the simple prayer, “Teach me Your way.” When I was struggling over the call to move to the United Kingdom, I had many concerns about the visa, finances, relationships I was leaving behind, and the challenges of the work I would be doing. I was not excited about the journey ahead because I was worried about all the potential difficulties. In some ways, my worries allowed me to feel prepared. I thought through many of the difficulties and had a plan as to how to address them. However, I was relying on my own ways instead of the ways of God. I wanted to feel in control over my life.
As I realized what I was doing, I prayed the simple prayer, “Lord, teach me Your way.” The very act of praying this aloud produced an immediate calm. I was relinquishing my own power and control and allowing God to take the lead. I acknowledged that He was the teacher. Instead of being fogged by the intricacies or difficulties of the challenge I was facing, I experienced the clarity of seeing the situation from God’s perspective. The fears or concerns I had no longer seemed important. I was able to focus on His ways. Even though I did not have all the answers, God did, and as long as I followed His lead, I could remain secure that He knew what I needed to do.
Written by Ahreum Kim
💬 Today’s Inspiration
“When we face threats and trauma, the way we see them makes all the difference.”
– Heidi H. Dean