Psalms Reading – 1.15.2022
Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
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.
In this beautiful psalm of confident trust, David reflects on his close relationship with God, giving thanks for all the blessings that God has provided him. He asks briefly to be kept safe but then spends the rest of the psalm declaring his faith in God.
Because God is David’s Lord, he knows nothing in life compares to God’s goodness. He contrasts the holy people, who we are all called to be, with the unholy who grossly worship other gods.
David declares his singular worship to God for he knows God is his reason for blessing. God alone makes his life secure. God gives him a wonderful inheritance. He praises God who counsels him day and night. He keeps his eyes fully focused on the Lord; he puts God first in all things. Because David does so, he knows God is at the right hand of honor in his life. This is the reason he has such confidence in the midst of all circumstances.
David ends by strongly affirming his confidence in the Lord, which extends far beyond death. Peter quoted verses 8-11 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, applying it to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:25-28). Paul quoted verse 10 in his speech at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:35).
What a beautiful psalm to enjoy as a prayer and declaration of faith to God. As Christians, we have all the more reason to declare such a confident faith because we know the rest of the story of how God’s generous blessings are found in Christ Jesus.
Memory Verse:
Psalm 9:1, I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Question(s) to Consider:
What speaks to you from this passage? What reasons would you give for your confident faith in Jesus Christ?