Finding God Near In Our Need

“I am weak and poor, O Lord, but you have not forgotten me. You are my savior and my God–hurry to my aid!” Psalm 40:17 (GNT)

If life feels like it is one trial after the next, I am right there with you! Some days it feels like i live in constant need, powerless to stop the soul-crushing, faith-testing struggles that storm my heart and mind.

So, what’s a girl to do when life is overwhelming and her efforts to change it underwhelming? Read Psalm 40:17, of course!

As always, David–the writer of Psalm 40–vulnerably reveals his own heart. In doing so, he gives us a study into the heart of God. He so honestly writes, “I am weak and poor, O Lord, but you have not forgotten me. You are my savior and my God–hurry to my aid!”

How many times have you felt weak and poor? When you feel this way, do you ask God to hurry to your aid?

If ever there was a poster child for adversity, it is David. Anointed king while still a shepherd, his ascension to the throne was anything but regal.

He was murderously hunted by King Saul and forced to flee his own home. Without a home in which to seek refuge, David dwelt in the depths of caves so he could escape Saul’s assassination attempts.

Sadly, even after he was enthroned as king over all of Israel, David still endured adversity. Scripture records his personal sin of adultery with Bathsheeba as well as David’s plan to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle in an effort to cover up the affair.

The child conceived as a result of that adulterous affair died at just seven days old. Later, David would lose another son. But this time to rebellion.

These are just the trials David endured in his personal life. As king, he found himself in many battles with enemy nations as God expanded his territory. And I think I live in constant need?!

To me, having a constant need does not necessarily scream “O Lord, …you have not forgotten me.” It says, “Um, hello? Remember me, God?”

But David recognizes he, like we, do not have the power or authority to change our circumstances—only God does. He learned this by having a constant need and experiencing God’s constant provision!

He experienced God’s provision in the wilderness running from Saul. He experienced it in his sin and intense grief. Lastly, he experienced it in the many battles he fought and the victories God gave him.

We may not realize it, but through our constant need and His constant provision, we come to more intimately know our God

who does not forget about us—that He is our Savior and our God. This is certainly what David came to know so well.

Our constant need isn't evidence of an absent God. It is the work of a near God, making His presence and provision unmistakably known.

Friend, our constant need invites us into His constant, faithful provision. When we are weak and in need, like David we can count on God to hurry to our aid!

Even if the trial in our life is caused by our own sin, He still provides. He does not forget us. Just ask David.

Where in your life do you need God to hurry to your aid today? Spoiler Alert: He's already there.