Psalms 16
Reading Time: 2 minutes Listen
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 16:1-11
You Will Not Abandon My Soul
A Miktam of David.
1Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
4The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 16:1-11
Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
1Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4Those 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.
5Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
I recently saw an episode of The Mandalorian. Grogu, the young force user, protects himself and his friends from an engulfing flame by creating a force field around them. Had they not been protected by his power, the three of them would have died.
Like a snowflake on a Hallmark card, I realize even the slightest bit of heat could undo me. Too much stress, a bump on the head, betrayal by those I love most. Is there a limit to the monsters around the corner? Yet, David reminds me of the “eternal pleasures” that God promises. My safety isn’t in sixty years of building a retirement account. Our bodies will certainly fail. In fact, at only thirty my back often hurts already. So, have I really said in my heart, “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup?"
Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and many others all promise a hero, or many heroes. They share stories of invented inheritance and thunderous lords. We pay to watch these stories. Yet, a greater force, a stronger hero, the Lord of Life, has already paid for our inheritance. He is where we may truly say, “In You I take refuge.”
Joshua Hester
Pastor, Waterloo, Iowa USA (as of this writing)
