Solomon's Porch Christian Community

Psalm 86:1-7
[1] Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. [2] Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.  [3] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.[4] Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. [5] For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.  [6] Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.  [7] In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
Consider, one of the great promises of the Gospel is that the Lord makes those of us that are poor, rich.  We are all poor and needy.  Sin brings to us spiritual poverty.  We are all born dead in our sin and separated from God.  His wrath lies upon us, we are filled with fear and guilt because of it. We are poor toward each other.  Families fall apart, men often manipulate and hurt one another.  Our relationships often breakdown, the earth is full of war and violence.
We are poor toward creation.  Our work is hard much of the time and doesn’t always yield what it should.  All these coincide to bring many people into material poverty as well

First, take a moment and consider the depth of your poverty.  Confess your needs, ask the Lord to preserve your way because Christ has changed your heart and given you a heart toward godliness.  Receive from Christ gladly the promise of the Gospel that makes you alive in Christ Jesus, making you spiritually rich.  The same now indwelling Christ also gives you a heart to love your brother and your neighbor, making you rich toward men.  Take heart in the promise of the Gospel that makes Christ King over all Creation and you heir with Him, making you rich toward creation.  Finally through the blessing of Christ’s body, though we may be materially poor, yet we have all things in common, and so we are incalculably materially rich.

Second, we can be sure that all these things are true because we know that God is good, forgiving, abounding in covenant love toward His people.  We can be confident because of His character that He cares for and listens to our pleas.  It is faith in God’s character, demonstrated in Christ Jesus, that saves us, and applies or rewards us with all the Gospel promises. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)