THE LORD IS MY REFUGE
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Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, with all of heaven, I lift up praise and worship before you today. Thank you for receiving them, even though the honor you deserve is far greater than I can ever offer you.
Read PSALM 16
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Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those 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.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Reflect
Where do you consider your places of safety? Why?
For a long time, David was on the run from his enemy, Saul. There was nowhere to hide except in caves in the wilderness and, at times, outside the country among the Philistines. David knew instinctively that the only safe refuge while he was on the run was the Lord, to whom he turned in times of crisis (v. 1).1 In the not-too-distant past, his security had lain in his family portion of land with its secure boundaries, lines which had fallen in pleasant places (vv. 5, 6). This was a delightful inheritance, but alas, it no longer provided safety and security, so he kept running from place to place to avoid capture from Saul.
Regularly in their history, the Israelites fell into idolatry. This undermined their relationship with the Lord. Aaron built the golden calf,2 and Balaam taught the Midianites to entice the men of Israel to indulge in idolatry and debauchery at Peor,3 before Phinehas intervened. David had determined to put distance between himself and the practitioners of these abominations (v. 4).
These practices are common in our world. I recall, as a very young boy living with my grandparents in the village, regularly watching some of my forebears, after every successful hunt, take ground corn and cups of animal blood and pour them as a libation inside a shrine set up to their ancestors. These practices shackle many of my contemporaries to the spirit world despite their faith in Christ. David determined not to name the practitioners nor to share in their activities. We should learn to follow his example.
Apply
David knew that although his family fortunes provided security, ultimately, his protection lay in the hands of God, who was not limited to the confines of the temple in Jerusalem.
Closing prayer
Jesus, you have proved yourself faithful, not only in Scripture, but in my walk with you. Thank you that I can trust you to provide all that I need in life, now and into eternity.
1 Cf M Wilcock, Psalms 1–72 (IVP, 2001), 57. 2 Exod 32. 3 Num 25; 31:16; cf. Deut 4:3; Ps 106:28.
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