I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8
Apart From God Man Has No Good Thing – Psalm 16
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.
Apart From God Man Has No Good Thing – Psalm 16
What becomes clear through the prayerful reading of Psalm 16 is that man has much to learn from those faithful saints who have walked before him. The Psalms are filled to the brim with devout prayer, praise, divine wisdom and counsel as to how to navigate the trenches and uncertainty of life. But in addition to these wise words, there are also strong words of warning that are not to be taken lightly. Fortunately the warnings also exist for the betterment of mankind.
Throughout Psalm 16, the psalmist makes clear that God (and God alone!) is his hope and refuge. There is no one else who can properly guide him or rescue him from his woes. “Apart from the Lord, he has no good thing; those who run after other gods (money, power, fame, false idols and gods, etc.) will suffer more and more” (v 4). For the psalmist, the Lord alone is his complete portion and security. It is God who is his guide and instructor; He who is in charge of his earthly and eternal inheritance. The psalmist, regardless of the difficulties presented throughout his life, knew that the Lord would not abandon him. Rather, He promised to show him the right path forward, filled him with joy regardless of circumstance, and offered eternal pleasure. The same God who delivered this to the psalmist, is the same God who promises it all to you … Therefore let your heart be glad and your tongue rejoice; [your] body also will rest secure (v 9).
Psalm 16 for Meditation
Keep me safe, my God,
for in You I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.”
I say of the Holy people who are in the land,
‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’
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.
Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup;
You make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, Who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will You let your faithful one see decay.
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.
0 comments on “Apart From God Man Has No Good Thing – Psalm 16”