Psalm 9 is odd. For twelve verses it seems a celebratory psalm, claiming and praising what God has already done (“you have” repeated in v.4-6); then vs.13-14 seem to contradict that, as David is in the midst of persecution, at the gates of death, needing God’s mercy so he can praise Him. It closes by naming what will happen, emphasizing that the calamity is not even God’s doing, but “the work of their hands,” (v16) the natural consequences of those who “are only mortal.” (v20)

Nestled in this is the plight of the needy and poor, who feel forgotten and whose hope seems to be dying. Perhaps, like me, you’ve felt that, seemingly forgotten by God as one-by-one the pathways to your hope close and destruction seems inevitable. God could have saved you a million times, yet the enemy still remains. What is hard about these moments is functionally it is true; hope feels like childish dreams when your situation gets worse and your prayers seem unheard. David captures this in v18: the needy will not always be forgotten… though today it seems they are; the hope of the poor shall not perish forever… though today it seems near-death. In the midst of his celebratory praise, David pauses not just to affirm, but to validate the lament of the poor and needy.

The NIV frames actual reality over our perceived reality: “But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.” Yes, it may seem hope is dying, but rest assured, it will never perish. You will never be forgotten.