The Lord thinks upon Me!
Psalm 40:17 NKJV — But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.
Personal Note
Because Uncle Sam takes priority this time of year and because of some complications in my daily schedule, I have gotten behind on my meditations. But I have been thinking of this verse that David wrote many years ago. Most consider this a Messianic Psalm because verses 6 through 7 are quoted in the book of Hebrews as prophetic of the Lord. However the Psalm must have been written by David when he felt that he was “poor and needy.” There were a number of times in his life when those words could have been written by him. But I would like to apply the psalm to our own personal experiences.
Things to Note in the Psalm
First, there was the patient waiting. I take this to mean that his distress lasted for some time and his relief did not come immediately. Second, his prayer was heard and he was delivered by the Lord, not by his own effort. Third, his deliverance caused him to sing a new song. His ordeal was observed by others who then put their trust in the Lord because of David’s experience. Finally, David breaks into worship as he recounts the blessings of those who trust in the Lord. He also becomes an evangelist, telling others of the blessing that he has enjoyed.
While David seems to have seen deliverance from the pit others have dug for him, he realizes that there are those who still want to destroy him and he seeks the protection of God with regard to the future. This almost seems like the Psalm might have been written after Absalom tried to usurp the throne. He is well aware of his sin in the Psalm and he is aware that he needs the Lord’s protection.
His Conclusion (and ours)
The verse quoted above has always given me hope. The “poor and needy” phrase is found many times in the Bible. The phrase seems to be limited to the Old Testament, and is associated with oppression in many cases. Many people seem themselves poor but the Psalmist seems himself as needy besides. Being poor and needy seems to be a place of blessing in our relationship with the Lord.
But what I really like is that realization that “the LORD thinks on me.” Basically that means that He knows what is happening and He cares.
David knows that the Lord cares but asks for help and for deliverance, knowing that he is going to need preservation from oppressors. In the new testament we read that the Lord cares concerning each of us who are believers individually. Peter, who knew the loving concern of the Lord even after denying Him three times, says in1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Apparently there are about 8 billion people on planet earth right now. Each person is unique and the Lord loves each one even though many people have no idea how much the Lord really cares concerning them. But, those of us that are believers, know that the Lord came to seek and to save us individually (one out of 8 billion) and we can look back at the ways that the Lord cared concerning us in bringing us to saving faith. It is nice to know that no matter what circumstances and problems are being experienced by us today, the Lord is right there thinking about or on or concerning us personally.
If we are saved, we need to remember that if God be for us, who can be against us (and prevail) (Romans 8:31)? The answer is, NO ONE. Let us be encouraged to believe that “the LORD thinks upon us.”
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the weeks of March 10, 17, 24, and 31