Psalms 16
Psalms 16:1-11 (NLT)
1 A psalm of David. Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods.
5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!
7 I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Though David’s statements about God are real and true apart from their declaration, they come to life and impact his outlook and condition of the soul by merely putting them into words. He doesn’t just ask God to be his future refuge and safety but affirms that He already is and how He famously cares for those who seek Him alone. What is most needed to endure whatever is challenging David is gladness of the soul and restoration of hope. In declaring God’s faithfulness based upon what He had already done, he expresses that God will inevitably preserve, protect, and fill with joy forever.
No matter what is before us and how greatly it has come against the condition of our soul, there is a proven resolution of the real threat to the soul in acknowledging the already existing faithfulness of God. Not even having to request it at all, declarations of what He has and will do cause faith to rise and rest of the soul with that faith. This sets the stage for accessing the abundance of life already provided for and demonstrating His goodness by enjoying His pleasures now and forever – apart from any preceding removal of circumstances. When the soul is cared for by the declared goodness of God, threats are rendered ineffective, and the landscape to be encountered and occupied changes dramatically.