Psalm 113:7-9 – “Nothingness”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

⁷Raising [the] poor from the dust, He raises [the] needy from the dung pile,

⁸to make [him] dwell with nobles, with the nobles of his people,

⁹making [the] barren [woman] to dwell [in] the house, the mother of the sons,

    joyful.

Praise the LORD.

Isn’t it interesting to note who it is that God “raises?” He raises the poor, the needy, and the barren!

The Lord, of course, cares about everyone, but it is the unchanging character of His grace that He favors the poor. “For God resists the proud, but gives His grace to the humble.” It is possible (though extremely rare) to be rich in this world and yet be “poor in spirit.” Jesus accosted the wealthy Laodiceans in Rev 3:17, “You say, ‘I am rich …,’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Their problem was that they let their outward prosperity blind them to their spiritual reality. “Nothing in my hand I bring, only to Thy Cross I cling.”

In some cases, this Divine favor of “the poor” is quite literal – “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith?” As I’ve noted many times before, it is and always has simply been true that faith belongs mostly to the poor of this world. Like the Laodiceans, most people, as they become more wealthy, find less and less need of a God of grace. It is sad but true that human misery helps us to see our need of God.

But the real “poor” and “needy” and “barren” which the Lord sees is in our hearts, not our bank accounts. It’s when we know that we’re “poor” and in “the dust” that the Lord can raise us up. “For this is what the high and exalted One says-- He who lives forever, whose Name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15).

What a wonderful God we serve! “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither My ways your ways.” In our world, the people who get “noticed” and favored are the ones who are “mighty” in some sense – the rich, the powerful, the talented, the athletic, the beautiful. We then easily imagine that somehow the Lord just can’t possibly be too interested in me. Of course He can’t use me for much. There’s simply not much to use. I’m “none of the above.” Yet, here in Psalm 113:7, we find the High One stooping down, not to find the mighty and make them more mighty, but to raise the poor and needy! To raise who? Those of us with “not much to offer!”

And then think about this: What does He raise them to? In verse 8, He “seats them with nobles, the nobles of their people.” Once again, in our world, how common is it that people will “raise themselves” and maybe they really do “rise” to something, yet they achieve it in dishonor. There are, of course, many rich people, who may in fact get rich, but everyone hates them. There are people who rose to some high accomplishment but did so neglecting their family, only to have children who bring them disgrace. Such is all too often the world we create for ourselves. But what about our Lord? When He raises us up, even in the raising, He gives us honor. “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Prov 10:22). “A good name is more to be desired than riches” (Prov 22:1). David time and time again would not “raise” himself (as in not killing Saul or Nabal) and when God did make him king, he could hold that position with a clear conscience. “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it” (Prov 15:16).

All of this just makes my head spin. What a wonderful God He is. He is the very God we all so badly need. I so don’t deserve the least of His kindness. I certainly don’t deserve that He should actually notice me or help me or use me for anything. And I’m so deeply aware there’s not much here to use. Everywhere I look there are people way more capable than me. What He really should do is just step His foot down from Heaven and squash me like a bug on the sidewalk. That is seriously what He should do. But, as I sit here in all my miserableness, my heart says, “But I don’t want Him to. I do want to live. I do want to be loved. I do want to believe I can actually be part of something important.” And what do I find as I read His Word? “He raises the poor from the dust and the needy from the dunghill to seat them with nobles!”

The truth is that I am the only “me” He can use. I have no one else to offer. I’m the only “me” that can go to work today, the only “me” who can even try to love people and make any difference at all. This psalm gives us all the wonderful news that the High One of Heaven is okay with that. The “me” you are is all He’s asking for. Poor? Needy? Barren? You’re in fact the very people He’s looking for.

God help me today to fall into the arms of Your grace, to let You accept me “just as I am” and to let You do whatever You see fit with the so little I have to offer. Help me to be confident in You and not be overwhelmed with my own nothingness. Jesus, be my Savior. Spirit, be my strength. And somehow may the wonder of who You are shine out of my heart.