This is the second installment of Psalm 16. Verses 5-8 have
been my life verse for a while. This is the attitude I want to have. Sometimes
it’s easy embrace it, often it’s not.
Lord, you have assigned me
my portion and my cup;
You have made 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 have set the Lord always
before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
What strikes me about reading these verses is that the
author, David, was completely secure and satisfied with his life. Perhaps this
is easy to come by when one is King, but it is likely that this Psalm was
written when David was living as an outlaw in hiding from Saul.[1]
Yet he has the perspective to see that God has provided for him physically, given
him counsel and correction, and promised him protection and kingship.
A few days ago while doing my quiet time in the morning, I
read through Psalm 105. This Psalm recounts the story of Jacob and his sons
going to Egypt (preceded by Joseph), and then coming out of Egypt and entering
the Promised Land as the reason for the psalmist’s praise and worship of God.
The Psalm ends with this statement:
He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts
of joy;
He gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what
others had toiled for—
That they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord.
God brought His people to the Promised Land so that they
could keep his precepts and observe his
laws. God put His people in the best place to worship and know Him. So when
David speaks of God’s provision for him, and his delightful inheritance, He recognizes that God has given him what
he needs to worship and know God. For David, it was the promise of being King
over Israel, and having an everlasting dynasty. How has God put you in a place
where you can worship Him, know Him, and keep His precepts?
Nine years ago, my husband and I were floundering a bit. We
lived in California, didn’t really like our jobs, and didn’t have a strong
church or church community around us. Late one night in the height of tax
season, I walked into the office of a partner of the accounting firm where I
worked, and asked for church recommendations. We had just resolved to leave our
current church. He looked at me, sighed, and said, “For what you need, I just
don’t think I can recommend any place around here.”
Talk about heartbreaking.
Not two months later though, God began moving in our hearts
to bring us out of California and to Colorado. I desired to know more about God
and the Old Testament, and my husband was up for a change. We wanted to live in
a place where we could thrive. God began opening doors, and five months after
my conversation with the partner, we moved to Colorado, and I began classes at
Denver Seminary. I can now see how God brought us here, and how our
relationship with God has thrived after our move.
Looking back on the past 9 years, I can see that God
provided my portion and my cup—that
is, He provided for my physical needs. He made
my lot secure by giving me what I need physically and spiritually to enjoy
and pursue a relationship with Him. The personal property and other
responsibilities He has assigned to me are good and pleasant blessings for me
to enjoy. And if that isn’t enough, surely
I have a delightful inheritance. God has called me to be His disciple, to
enjoy eternity with Him in His Kingdom, and to bring His truth and light into
the world He created.
In light of all this, how can I not praise the Lord who counsels me and guides me to places of healthy
spiritual living? David continues in verse 7, even at night, my heart instructs me. What is in our hearts will
ultimately guide us.[2]
If we have filled our hearts and minds with God, His word, and His Holy Spirit,
then we will be guided by these sound and truthful principles. Thus being in a
place where we have the space and freedom to pursue God, regardless of our
physical circumstances is so important! God desires our holiness over tithing,
and any other physical sacrifice. It’s all about knowing Him and loving Him. He
will bring us to places that might be hard, but it is for our benefit, because
He desires our presence in His Kingdom. For me personally, there have
definitely been physical comforts that have come, but the greatest thing is
having the space and freedom to know and worship God.
It’s easy to not be satisfied by our physical circumstances
and to wonder what it would be like to have more, or something different. The
world tells us that there are fixes for our problems, but striving after what
God has not ordained for us will not make us happy or holy. When I fall into
this pattern, I find myself doubting God’s love for me, whether He sees and
hears me, and if He cares about my struggles. At this point it’s not about what
God wants for me, but what I want for me. Instead, David says: I have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. David didn’t exactly
live a completely moral and upright life. His kids had Issues with a capital
“I” (2 Samuel 13, 14, 16). He plotted to have a man murdered after getting his
wife pregnant (2 Samuel 11). Yet he can still say that despite his failings and
sins, I will not be shaken, because
his attention was turned towards God.
God is our guardian who goes before us, yet He also stands
beside us as our comforter, counselor, and comrade.[3]
He prepares the way for us, He brings us to the place we need to be in order to
know and worship Him. He isn’t just asking that we live holy lives, but also
makes a way for us to do so. He loves us so much, that He made the ultimate
sacrifice for us, so that we could know Him, and hear Him. His spirit lives in
us to guide us and direct us. As 16:2 says: Apart
from you I have no good thing. Recognizing God’s will for us, and that He
is working to bring us into the most glorious place possible is the source of
our joy. Our God cares and loves us, provides for us, and moves us into the
places that are best for us eternally. Hallelujah!
[1]
D. Guthrie and J.A. Motyer, eds., The New
Bible Commentary; Revised (London: Intervarsity Press, 1970), 460.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Ibid.
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