Psalm Saturday: Psalm 16

Psalm 16

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
____________________

One thing comes to mind when reading this Psalm: peace.

If anyone had reason to fear or be shaken, it was David. He was a king who faced many problems throughout his tenure as the leader of Israel. In addition to the usual warfare, economic strife, and political turmoil that most rulers faced, David was victim to several personal attacks against his life and an attempted usurpation of power by his own son. He had every reason in the world to fear and to doubt, but he didn't.

David found assurance in the Lord. Indeed, David said that through the Lord, things had fallen into place wonderfully, and he was confident of a "beautiful inheritance." Things may not be the easiest at the moment, but David's trust in the Lord never faltered.

I think there is an important lesson here for us. Although we may not face the easiest circumstances in life, we can have eternal hope in the Lord. There is security there that cannot be found anywhere else. Althought it might be tempting to go and live a life of sin and temporary pleasure, David reminds us here that those things do not last. While that lifestyle might be temporarily gratifying, the sorrows of that lifestyle will quickly multiply.

Instead, we need to keep the Lord always before us. This serves a dual purpose: the Lord guides us and he encourages us. Paul reminds us of this fact as he exhorts the church in the book of Philippians to "keep your eyes of Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." In the same book, Paul tells us that when we do this, our present troubles will fade away, and we will be given a "peace that passes all understanding."

That is complete joy, not temporary pleasure. That is eternal good.

That is a satisfied and abundant life that God offers to each of us.