Category: Psalm 16

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.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11).

You know where you’re going.

You know who awaits you.

What more do you need?

Isn’t it good to be beloved, Beloved?

Happy Friday

…nor will you let your Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10b).

So, is David talking about himself here, or is he talking about Jesus?

Yes

Does that help?

As the anointed king, David was certainly the Holy One, set apart for God. 

And, you know, good for him.

But ultimately this verse is speaking of the Christ, the One who would bust Death in the chops and stride out of the tomb under his own power.

I wonder how much David knew. I wonder how much God shared with him about the One who would come to fulfill the reign David had begun. 

Maybe we’ll get to ask him one day.

Probably not today though.

For today, walk in the knowledge that he who destroyed Death has chosen you to be his Beloved. Death cannot have you, 

ever, 

because you are already His. Whatever today may bring, it’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

…for you will not abandon me to the grave… (Psalm 16:10a).

Assuming Jesus does not return first, one day you will die. Your heart, lungs, synapses and phalanges will all cease to function, and you will slowly begin to decompose, unless you die in a warm and moist climate, in which case you will rapidly decompose, unless your family has you embalmed, in which case you will slowly shrivel over time, locked in the darkness of the earth as your spirit wanders for all eternity.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Wait

That’s not true.

Oh, the part where you die might be true. And the part about your phalanges. But it won’t be for eternity.

And you won’t wander in darkness.

God has promised you an eternity with him.

That eternity includes light and life and being in the presence of God forever.

Beloved, I don’t know exactly what happens when you die. None of us does. But I know that in Christ death has no victory, no sting.

You will not be abandoned; you will be welcomed home.

Now, Happy Wednesday, Beloved

…my body will also rest secure (Psalm 16:9b).

This is one of those lines that I can read in two ways.

When I read this in the context of the preceding verses, I think of the here and now. Because God is with me, I can relax. I can know peace. I can–or at least I should be able to–release the stress of this world that makes my stomach ache and keeps me awake at night. I can rest, secure in the knowledge that the Lord of the Universe is in control.

I like this.

I can also tie this line to the following verse, you will not abandon me to the grave. Now the line seems to be talking of death. When my time here is over, I will rest in peace, because the Lord of Everything will not forget me.

I like this, too.

Which reading is correct? Oh, Beloved, you know that I am not a theological scholar, and my trusty study Bible only gets me so far. My gut tells me that it means both of these, and more.

So very much more

God loves you, Beloved.

Rest secure.

Happy Tuesday

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices (Psalm 16:9a).

When was the last time you praised God outside of church?

Sometimes it’s not easy. I mean, if you start singing at the top of your voice in strange tongues and dancing with all your might wearing only a linen ephod while standing in the households section of WalMart, you may produce the wrong kind of reaction.

Then again, it is WalMart. You may get no reaction at all.

But there are other ways, Beloved. Make God part of your conversations with the world. Show the people around you that “your heart is glad” and make sure they know Who is responsible for your joy. Name-drop the Almighty as though you were talking about a real person who has done great things for you.

Because he is

And he has

Maybe the ephod stays home.

Maybe not…your call.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Therefore my heart is glad…(Psalm 16:9a).

Your heart

The seat of your emotions–those somewhat turbulent, often troublesome, seldomtobetrusted emotions.

Your heart, that can be so frail and so fickle and so foolish.

So weak, so wicked

Sorry, I’m out of alliterations for the moment.

You know, it doesn’t have to be so complicated, Beloved.

God loves you.

God has chosen you.

God is with you,and his Spirit lives within you.

Your heart knows this, and really wants to be glad.

Let it.

Happy Friday, Beloved.