Psalm 86:5-6

 

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.

This prayer of David reads like a plea from a child to a father. Psalm 86 starts with David admitting he is "poor and needy".  This verse led me on a search of King David's net worth. Based on the ancient weight systems of gold and other precious metals, and then comparing them to today's value, experts have figured his net worth was at least 200 Billion dollars! 

King David's Wealth

 So, not by any standard, 3000 years ago until today, would King David be considered poor.  But as he looks to God in comparison, he realizes he falls short in every way.  We see this in verse 2 when he says "I am godly".  He is using a form of our word "chesed", meaning "I am devout, I am pious, I am righteous."  When compared with the steadfast love of God, he IS poor, he IS needy.  So he cries out to God for grace and help.

"Comparison is the thief of joy"--Theodore Roosevelt.  We live in a culture that is comparison-heavy.   Social media allows us to put our best face forward, if it's even our real face. We can filter just about any blemish with one swipe.  There are experts at angles and lighting that can make our unfiltered existence seem dull and boring.  But if we went unannounced to the homes of these "influencers", we would find they look much the same as us.   But in the upside kingdom of God, comparison brings much joy!  Oh, not in the "you're enough" push of modern thinking.  You're not.  I'm not.  But God is!  He is stubborn, unwavering, devoted in love.   He is good and forgiving.  He is trustworthy.  While we put forth a facade of what we may wish we were, God is what He is.  He doesn't need angles and lighting to show His best side, He IS the best side! Comparing ourselves to Him makes us realize we are poor and needy, too. That's what leads us to worship the One who has no rival and no equal.  💓