Freedom is not … the epitome of the American Dream.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the Lord who has counselled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
I am reading through Psalms right now and I recently read Psalm 16. As I was reading God's Word I was encouraged and wanted to share that encouragement. I want to focus on verses one and eleven; however, I felt like I would rob you if I did not encourage you to read all 11 verses.
In verse one we see David seeking the Lord to preserve him and that David finds refuge in God. Many of you right now may feel the same way. Whether it is because you have been isolated from fellowship and your normal routine or because you are seeing all that is happening on the news and anxiety is building up in your heart. Many of us are in a place where we need shelter. Something to cover us from the trials that we are facing.
Unfortunately, there are many places we can go to find comfort and shelter that are not the Lord. There are many things that promise satisfaction that will offer comfort, but those comforts are not eternal. Trials and tribulations are a part of life and I believe in many ways can be a good reminder of where we are to put our hope. We are to put our hope in the One who has power over all things. The One who can protect what is most important, the soul.
Furthermore, I believe we need to be able to find that refuge in and through the trials of life. Refuge and shelter paint a picture of being hidden away. However, I believe we can find refuge while on the way. As the psalmist ends this Psalm, he reminds us real refuge comes from being in the presence of God. This refuge is found as we trust in the path of life that God has made known to us. He reminds us that as we follow Him, we find the fullness of joy in His presence.
The psalmist understood that God is where we find our shelter. That even though the road of life may be hard, those who follow Him on the way will find everlasting pleasures. I hope and pray that you find your shelter in the presence of the Lord and that even in times of great need He may comfort you.