Psalms 86
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Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 86:1-17
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
A Prayer of David.
1Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.
8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
12I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17Show me a sign of your favor,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 86:1-17
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
14Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
15But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
17Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
All my life I have felt the Holy Spirit protecting me, but it wasn’t until I grew up and put away childish thoughts of this world that I began to understand how much the Lord loves me!
About two years ago, I finished my B.A. in psychology. I was so excited that all of my adult children and grandchildren would attend my graduation. The day before graduation I felt allergies coming on. It was hard to breathe so I decided to go to the emergency room for a chest x-ray. The doctor told me that I had “A fib” and wanted to admit me for observation. I explained to the doctor that I wanted to attend my graduation the next day. Reluctantly, they allowed me to leave with the promise that I would see my physician Monday.
Graduation day arrived but I was still so ill that I couldn’t attend. I was devastated! Being the first generation to get a degree in my family was so important for me! On Monday, the doctor immediately sent me to the hospital where it was discovered I had an enlarged hole in my heart. All that I could think was how God had protected me through every heartbeat of my life!
Praise God with the song writer of Psalm 86! Glorify His Name! Great are His Mercies! I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with ALL MY HEART: and I will glorify thy name for evermore (v. 12)!
Laura Jones
Secretary and Teachers’ Aid, Simi Valley Adventist Church and School, California USA (as of this writing)
