Day 32

Psalm 16 Part 1: Read here – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2016&version=NASB

—A Messianic Psalm

This is a wonderful Psalm relating how David found the secret of contentment and great gladness even in pressing times; it also speaks powerfully of Jesus and His work for us. It seems that David wrote this Psalm from a time of trouble, because he asked for preservation, took confidence in that he would not be moved (v8), and had confidence the resurrection from the grave(v10). Yet the tone of this Psalm is not despair or complaint; it is settled joy. Despite his trouble, David had a praising confidence in his God. To trust God in trying circumstances is the highest honour we can give Him and places the crown upon His head. Go through this psalm with a highlighter and notice the pronouns: ‘me’ ‘I’ ‘my’ ‘you.’ A common element in David’s writings is the He/me theme. This is the secret of contentment in hard times – maintaining the habit of closeness with the Lord. Notice 4 things as you read: 1) A Guide (Him,) 2) A traveller (you,) 3) a way (the Path,) 4) The end (Life).

David knew that at his very best all of his goodness(v2), was nothing apart from God. He knew that ‘goodness’ was itself a gift of God. Therefore, apart from Him it was ‘nothing’. It was nothing because David’s goodness was of small value without his relationship with God.

David understood that those who served other gods found many sorrows in life (V4-6.) David knew that his life, lived after God, was not an easy one. He experienced many hardships because he remained faithful to God. Nevertheless, he also knew that life lived after another god was even more difficult. It was the attitude of Peter in John6:66-69, when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? ‘Multiplied sorrows,’(v4) are the same words spoken to Eve in the Hebrew of Genesis3:16.

V8 speaks of a decision David made to put God first in his life. He determined that God would always be his focus, his perspective. In the ultimate sense, only Jesus did this perfectly. He was always in the intimate presence of His Father. Part 2…