How do we know that God helps the poor and needy?

Psalm 40:17 articulates the assurance that God thinks upon those who are poor and needy, serving as a testimony to His faithfulness and care. Throughout scripture, references to God's help for the poor can be found, such as in Psalm 72:13, where it is stated that He shall spare the poor and needy. God's character is one that delights in showing mercy, and therefore He responds to the cries of the needy, offering salvation and deliverance. This understanding is foundational to the Reformed faith, where God's sovereign grace is affirmed as sufficient for the spiritually bankrupt, providing not just temporal help but eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.