Promise 10: “For the Oppression of the Poor, for the Sighing of the Needy, Now I Will Arise,” Says the Lord

“‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’” (Psalm 12:5 NKJV).

Have you been crying out to the Lord to deliver you from oppression, attack, or bondage? If so, the Lord says to you today that He is rising up to save you! Read on for an encouraging word from the powerful Bible promise of Psalm 12:5!

In this powerful promise of Psalm 12:5, God is taking pity on the poor. He is listening to the sighing of the needy. And His pity and compassion move Him, just like compassion moved Jesus in Matthew 9:36:

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NKJV).

Compassion always moves God to act, just like it should move us.

That’s why James 2 talks a lot about how we can’t just say “depart in peace, be warmed and filled” when someone is cold or hungry; we have to DO something to help the poor. If we want someone to be blessed, we have to be the ones to bless them. That’s why God says in James 2 that faith without works is dead:

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:14-24 NKJV).

And I show you that so that you will understand that God doesn’t require something of us without also doing it Himself. When God has compassion on us, He DOES something about it. He fixes the problem; He rises up to help with His mighty hand and His outstretched arm.

So, let’s look again at Psalm 12:5, our key Bible promise for today:

“‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’” (Psalm 12:5 NKJV).

To understand this promise, first we have to understand who “the poor” and “the needy” are.

The Bible tells us that everything in Heaven and earth belongs to God. He is the great Owner of it all. You and I own nothing, not even the clothing on our backs; we are merely stewards of His stuff.

Look at 1 Chronicles 29:

Also, look at Psalm 24:1:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1 NKJV).

So everything in Heaven and earth belongs to God, the Creator and the Ancient of Days. You and I own nothing; we only manage things that belong to Him.

Therefore, who does God consider to be “the poor”?

If everything belongs to Him, and you and I own nothing, then WE are each an example of “the poor” in God’s eyes. To Him, you and I are the poor and needy ones, upon whom He has compassion.

(And by the way, if we are talking about one of US humans having compassion on “the poor,” then “the poor” is ANYONE who has a need that you or I can meet in any given moment.)

Who does God consider to be “the needy”?

Again, that’s us. You and I are completely needy because we are completely dependent on Jesus. Look at what John 15 says:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:1-8 NKJV).

Without Jesus, you and I can do absolutely nothing.

We are only branches; He is the Vine. He is the One from whom all life, strength, and power flow. Without Him, we can do nothing–and with Him, things only get done because HE is the One flowing through us to do the thing.

We don’t even have life in ourselves at all, except for Him; we are completely dead to ourselves and alive ONLY in Him! As it says in Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

It is a very literal truth that you are not alive anymore in and of yourself; Christ is your only Life-Force.

He is the only Life in you. So, in order for anything to get done, He–Jesus–has to be the One doing it, because He is the only Living Being there is to do anything. 🙂 Praise the Lord! Oh, the Scriptures are rich!

Related: 7 Reasons to Love the Word of God

So, back to our promise. We are making progress in understanding it! Let’s review Psalm 12:5 again:

“‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’” (Psalm 12:5 NKJV).

We have already seen that:

So what is God’s message for us today in this promise?

Simply this: God sees your poverty and need. Even if you’re wealthy by human standards, you are still poor compared to Him. He sees your need for Him, for He sees and personally knows your completely inability to do anything without Him.

After all, Jesus has endured every aspect of the human experience. He was confined to a weak human body, just like we are. He was in every point tempted as we are, yet without sin.

And because Jesus lived this human life, taking our griefs and sorrows upon Himself, He qualified to become (and did become) our Great High Priest–and our great Dispenser of Mercy and Grace. As we read in Hebrews 4:14-16:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV).

So Jesus knows what you need. He has experienced it Himself. He sees your oppression and hears your sighing … and His compassion is moving Him to act on your behalf.

What exactly is God doing to help you right now?

Well, let’s look again at Psalm 12:5 for the answer:

“‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns’” (Psalm 12:5 NKJV).

This powerful verse tells us that not only does God see your oppression and your poverty, hearing your sighing and your need, but that He is arising NOW to help you. And He says that He is going to set you in the safety for which you yearn.

Don’t miss this key: our Heavenly Father SEES your yearning for safety and stability.

He knows all the years you have spent groaning for help. He sees how you have been rocked and buffeted by life’s circumstances; by the unexpected and the tragic; by enemy attack, depression, discouragement, and more. He sees and knows how it feels to be rocked by the storm.

But in it all, Jesus is rising up right now to speak, “Peace, be still,” to your storm.

The storm always responds to Jesus’ command. And even if you are in a storm right now, God sees you and knows what you are going through–and He is rising up NOW to pick you up OUT of that storm, and to set you in the safety for which you yearn.

Beloved, God has safety and stability for you.

He is bringing you into your desired haven right now. He has only good plans for your life. And because He sees your oppression and your sighing, your poverty and your need, He has determined to rise up NOW and set you in the safety for which you yearn.

That’s a good promise, my friend. That’s a promise you can cling to.

Do you need God to save you from your circumstances and bring you out of your situation right now?

I think we probably all do. It’s the universal state of humankind:

• We need God.
• We need His help, His deliverance, His provision, His rest, and His relief at all times.
• We need Him to intervene on our behalf with His mighty hand and His outstretched arm, day in and day out.

But He will do it, and He IS doing it for you right now.

Beloved, our Lord Jesus has heard the cry of your heart.

He has seen the cry of your groaning, your oppression, your sighing, and your need. And He is rising up RIGHT NOW to set you in the safety for which you yearn.

Do you receive that promise today, straight from His lips? If so, leave a comment below!