For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like the locust. My knees are weak from fasting, and my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. I also have become a reproach to them; when they see me, they wag their head. Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your lovingkindness. And let them know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it. Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, they shall be ashamed, but Your servant shall be glad. Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, and let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; and in the midst of many I will praise Him. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul. (Psalm 109:22-31, NASB).
In this Psalm of David we again see how David saw himself, especially when he sees God as He is. It is all a matter of perspective. When we get our eyes off of the Lord we tend to build ourselves up. But when we see God in all His greatness we see ourselves in all weakness. Our eyes need to be only in one place, upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1-2, HCSB)
The comparisons are easy to make if we are poor in spirit.
David addresses himself in verses 22-25
David is poor and needy in himself as he declared often in his psalms (Psalm 35:10; Psalm 40:17; Psalm 70:5; and Psalm 86:1)
David needs the riches of God added to his account (Romans 2:4; Romans 11:33; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 3:16; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27; Colossians 2:2; Hebrews 11:26; Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 3:16; and Proverbs 8:18)
David’s heart is wounded and greatly in trouble and needs the Master of the heart to heal him (Luke 4:18)
David recognizes that he is a finite being (James 4:14; Psalm 39:5; Psalm 89:47; Psalm 144:4; Job 7:7; Job 9:25-26; Job 10:9; and Job 14:11) and is in need of God’s infiniteness (Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 40:5; Psalm 41:13; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 103:17; Psalm 106:48; Psalm 139:17-18; Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 16:26; and Romans 11:33)
David realizes that his flesh produces nothing of value (Romans 7:5: Romans 7:18; Romans 8:8; 1 Corinthians 1:29; and Galatians 6:8) and needs a regenerate life (Romans 8; Galatians 5:16; and Galatians 6:8; 1 Peter 3:18)
David is a reproach to other men and lives in disgrace in himself and needs to have his identity in the Lord (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).
David shows us how he views God in verses 26-31
God is Savior (2 Samuel 2 2:23: Psalm 106:21; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 43:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:3-4; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1, 11; and 1 John 4:14)
God is merciful (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 4:31; 2 Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:31; Psalm 37:26; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 116:5; and Luke 6:36)
God has a will that is good for His people (Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:27; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:5-12; Ephesians 5:15-17; Colossians 1:9; Colossians 4:12; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 3:17; and 1 John 2:17)
The Lord loves to bless His people (Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 3:14; Romans 4:7-8; Revelation 1:3) and exalt those brought low (Matthew 5:3; Matthew 23:12; and 1 Peter 5:6)
God is worthy of our praise (2 Samuel 22:4; Psalm 18:3; Revelation 4:11)
God lifts up those who are weak and needy (we have exhausted this in recent sections)
The Lord is the deliverer of those in trouble (2 Samuel 22:2; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 40:17; and Romans 11:26)
David recognized what poor in spirit is; it is perspective. We need to see ourselves as we are and at the same time see God as all He is.
There was a lot of Scripture in this meditation. Read each reference to see how Scripture views God and the self and determine in your heart to align with the Word of God in prayer to become poor in spirit.