The Lord listens to the requests of the lowly. He encourages them; he listens with rapt attention. Caring attention from the Lord leads to the answering of prayers, or at least the faithful receive encouragement from the Spirit of God. This way they are better prepared to handle their situation.
We see parallel passages in:
Psalm 22:26:
The afflicted (meek) shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!
Psalm 25:9:
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Psalm 34:2:
My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
We also learn that God judges justly from Isaiah 11:4: but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
The awe for the Lord means fair justice.
Despite the sorrowful situation, the author is convinced of the following: God does justice to the orphans (see Psalm 10:14) and the oppressed (Psalm 10:2, Psalm 10:14). The evildoers often seem strong, but in the end, they are men who is of the earth,
which indicates their mortality. Such a person cannot chase another person from the land or the earth. The weak, the poor, the vulnerable, the humble—they all dwell safe with God, the Almighty, who is King and Judge. The fact that strong people end up on top and the suppressed lose out, will end when God’s kingdom comes. We already get a taste of this in Matthew 5:5: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
And over against those fighters and tyrants stand the words of Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear