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(Psalm 16:5-6).

You know, there’s this thing about an inheritance—you don’t earn it.

Oh, maybe you’re thinking about all the holidays over the years when you’ve driven 100 miles just to eat petrified turkey with your freakshow of a family and you’re saying to yourself, “Oh, I’m earning it, Baby.  Every nickel!”

But you aren’t, really.

An inheritance is a gift that comes to you but was earned by another.  If you earned it yourself, it would be wages.

When it comes to dealing with God, you don’t want your wages, trust me.

You want the gift.

The Psalmist understood this, and he was totally cool with it.  He didn’t stake his claim; he didn’t demand his rights.  He rested in the provision of God and trusted in the One who knew him best and loved him most.

So how about it, Beloved?  Are you content with the boundary lines that God has laid down for you?  Do you trust him enough to let enough be enough?

Surely you have a delightful inheritance.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips (Psalm 16:4b).

I’m going to assume that you’re not conducting pagan worship ceremonies in which you call out to demonic forces while pouring the blood of innocents upon the altar.

If you are…stop it.

I mean, that’s really beyond the scope of what I’m prepared to deal with in a daily devotional.

But what will you rely on today, Beloved? Who? When Tuesday gets ugly, will you trust in the God who loves you and rely on his goodness and mercy and strength and wisdom, or will you be like the pagans who let pride or wealth or reputation or self-preservation guide their choices?

Because those can be idols, too.

You serve a mighty God, Beloved. Stand firm today.

Happy Tuesday

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods (Psalm 16:4a).

It’s fun to mess with a dog’s head.

Easy, too

I pick up one of her toys–any toy will do–and hold it out to her.  She immediately sees this item as the most important thing in her puppyverse and goes after it with all her strength.

A tug of war ensues.

Then, I hold up a different toy.

Without hesitation, the pup will drop the first toy, this toy that was her entire world, and dive after the second, to which she will hold with equal ferocity until I show her a third.

And so on.

The whole thing is tremendously entertaining, when we’re talking about dogs.

Less so when we’re talking about people.

You see, at some point I will end the game, the pup will ultimately be satisfied with one of the toys, and there will be puppy-level contentment. 

Perhaps that’s because golden retrievers don’t need redemption.

For you and me, Beloved, the squeaky balls and stuffed ducks of the world will never be enough. Chasing them will only highlight the emptiness.

So don’t.

Happy Monday, Beloved

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight (Psalm 16:3).

There are so very many people who are so very much better at the whole God thing than I am.

These are the people I need to look to, to emulate, to spend time with and delight in.

There are also folks out there who are new to the Kingdom, still squinting in the light as they try to make sense of their surroundings.

These are the ones who need a hand…perhaps my hand.

They are all saints, and they are all glorious.

My prayer for this morning is that God would point these folks out to me, and that he would keep my pride from interfering with what I can learn, and what I can share.

Care to join me in that prayer?

Happy Friday, Beloved.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”(Psalm 16:2)

Every once in a while I have one of those days where I find myself home alone.  It’s just me and…me. And things are…different. It’s not so much that I’m doing different things—I still eat, sleep, write, wash the occasional dish.  It’s that, without my family here, it all seems rather…blah. The people for whom I do the things I do aren’t here, so my actions feel a little meaningless, a little empty.

It’s kinda like that in this verse.  Apart from God, I would still have things.  I would still do things.  I would still be things.  But those things would be devoid of meaning.

They would be robbed of their goodness.

With God at the center, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28, if you’re wondering).  Without him at the center, why bother? Whatever I do, or think, or feel…it’s not going to be good.  Because he is what makes it good. In him I live and move and have my being.

So, without him, bupkis.  With him…Woohooo!

Whadday say, Beloved?  Shall we make today a Woohoo kinda day?

Happy Thursday

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge (Psalm 16:1).

Did you know that this psalm is a miktam?

Says so, right here in my study Bible.

Do you know what a miktam is?

Neither do I.

Nor do the editors of my study Bible.

The best they can do–and trust me, it’s better than I could have done–is to point out that the term shows up in the title of psalms occasioned by great danger. So, when David is really stressed, really afraid, he sits down and knocks out a miktam.

Here’s another interesting bit, courtesy of the editors: In this moment of fear, when David cries out to God, he spends exactly five words pouring out the problem and his stress.

Keep me safe, O God

The remaining 197 words of the psalm–yes, I counted–are devoted to the reasons David trusts God to deliver him. That’s 2.4% of the psalm spent on petition, and 97.6% spent on praise.

Now, there’s a pattern for a solid life.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar (Psalm 51:18-19).

David concludes this very personal prayer with an appeal for his people.

I like that. It’s classy.

David asks God to bless his people, so that they might glorify Him.  Perhaps that’s a prayer we can join in today. Maybe we ask God that we take all the blessings he showers on us and use them to praise his name.

Beloved, consider all that you deserve, but have not received.

Consider all that you do not deserve, but have received.

It could be so different, couldn’t it?

Offer up a sacrifice of praise today. I suggest we skip the burnt offering–that might be problematic. Instead, praise him with your voice and your heart and your time and your obedience.

He is always listening.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).

He doesn’t want your stuff.

He doesn’t want your show.

He wants you.

Take that into your week, Beloved.

Happy Monday

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from blood guilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise (Psalm 51:13-15).

What, we got a little quid pro quo going on here?  Is David trying to make a deal with God, sort of you-help-me-out-here-and-I’ll-do-you-a-solid-down-the-line?

Yeah, no, I don’t think so.

David knows better than to bargain with God.  He has already thrown himself on God’s mercy and acknowledged that he can do nothing without God’s strength.

But David is making a promise.  He promises that he will give God full credit for restoring David.  He will help others to learn from his mistakes. David will spread the word of God’s righteousness at the top of his lungs, and he will do everything in his power to bring God glory.

Have you ever done that, Beloved?  Have you ever been so carried away by God’s goodness that you vowed to declare his praises to the world?

Um…this is a bit of an awkward question…but…did you follow through?

Follow through, Beloved.

Happy Friday.