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But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psa. 70:5 (NKJV)
I saw him again today, this frail old man, dirty, heavily bearded, hollow-eyed and gaunt. He sits on the median of a busy intersection near my home, holding a cardboard sign that declares his destitute state and begs for help from passersby.
I had seen him before, but only as I hurried past him, on my way to whatever was next in my busy life. But today our eyes met. I looked into his and he into mine and I wondered what his story might be. How had he come to this place? What misfortunes, poor decisions, or cruel twists of “fate” had conspired to reduce this man to the place of an undignified beggar?
I looked and I saw myself. Crudely clad in the rags of unrighteousness. Hopeless to change my circumstance. Unable to rid myself of the stench and stain of sin.
When I got home, I quickly turned to the seventieth chapter of the Psalms. I read the startling, sobering words of a king in distress. I listened as David, a rich and powerful king, declared himself “poor and needy.”
And my heart cried out, “So am I!”
I am poor and needy. I have so many needs that I will never be able to meet myself. I was glad that I could say with the Psalmist, “O God, YOU are my help and my deliverer. O LORD, do not delay.” Then, I choked out the words of the old hymn: “Pass me not, O gentle Savior; hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by.”
And I heard Him whisper, “I am here.”
A Prayer For Today: “Father, I am as poor and needy as any person who has ever lived. I cannot save myself. I cannot clean myself up and present myself holy and undefiled to You. I need Your salvation. I need Your cleansing blood. Thank You for meeting my needs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
