Psalm 16

A psalm of David.

¹ 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.

Dear God, I might need to come back to this tomorrow and approach it from a different angle because I just realized Peter references the last part of this psalm in his sermon in Acts 2 after the Holy Spirit falls on the disciples. I will spend some time with David today as he wrote it, but tomorrow I want to see what Peter was leaning into in his message.

With that said, I want to see what David has to say this morning. First, this is so worshipful. I can almost feel the state of David’s heart as he wrote this psalm. Focused on you. Worshipping you. Appreciating those who worship and love you. And I feel those things.

Next, thinking of verse 3, I have some people I know in our community whose faith I admire. I delight in them every time I see them or think of them. I had lunch with a man yesterday I admire. He loves you. He loves his wife and children. He serves his community. His life isn’t perfect. It’s stressful. It’s hard. He has challenges every day. But he faces them with earnestness, honor, and humility. He inspires me. Knowing him makes me better.

The rest of this psalm is just worshipping you, and I’m hear for it. It’s such a great joy to be able to sit here this morning and still my heart before you. And maybe typing this prayer to you isn’t quite making my heart still, but it keeps me focused on this moment with you. It keeps my mind from wandering off. It keeps me present in the present.

Father, I am about to participate in a discussion for a community forum about healthcare. I need your words for it. There might be one or two people in the room who can actually put their thumb on the scale from a national perspective. If there are words you can give me this morning that will move the needle in the direction you want it to move, please give them to me. I want to only bring glory to you this morning. I want to make this moment count for you and your love for others. I want to be used by you no matter what it costs me. You are God. I am just 1/7 billionth of the earth’s population. Use this little life however you will.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen