Psalm 16 (Listen)
16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Devotional:
The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply . . . You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:4a, 11 CSB).
Psalm 16 lays out a pretty simple choice: multiply your sorrows by chasing false gods or find the path of life and fullness of joy with the Lord. It does not get much clearer than that. The problem is that many times we chase the gods of money, power, status, and possessions thinking we will find joy, but in the end, we only multiply our debt, worries, and work. Psalm 16 makes it clear that following the Lord is a much better choice. “You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
Pray it: Father, help me to see the emptiness found in the false gods of the world and the delight and joy found only in you. May you guide me and direct my paths to experience more and more of the pleasure found in you.
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