Psalm 16: You Are My Lord; Apart From You I Have No Good Thing
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in You I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the Holy people who are in the land,
‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup;
You make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, Who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will You let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
We can learn so much from those who’ve went before us, particularly the psalmist’s. The Psalms are God-breathed. They hold invaluable wisdom and instruction for helping us to strengthen our faith and align our flawed efforts with the Lord’s perfect will.
Throughout Psalm 16, the psalmist makes clear that God (and God alone!) is his hope and refuge. There is no one else who can rescue and guide him. He says this: apart from the Lord, he has no good thing; those who run after other gods (money, power, fame, false idols, false gods, rituals, etc.) will suffer “more and more”; the Lord Himself is his portion and security; it is He Who is in charge of his earthly and eternal inheritance; the Lord is his counselor and instructor, He will not abandon him; He shows him the [right] path of life, fills him with joy, and offers eternal pleasures.
Who but the Lord Almighty can offer us such things? In lieu of God’s greatness and goodness, the psalmist says he will rejoice! He will praise Him all the days of his life — and so should we! The same promises offered to the saints of past, are the same promises we have today.
As you read and meditate on this psalm, tell God how much you love Him. Praise Him just as the psalmist did. Let your heart fill with joy and anticipation for what is to come. Our God is the God of restoration and compensation!
Amen!
How has this psalm spoken to your heart? Let us know in the comments below.
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