Psalm 16 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 16 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
Verse 2I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
Verse 3As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
Verse 4Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
Verse 5The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
Verse 6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
Verse 7I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
Verse 8I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Verse 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
Verse 10For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
Verse 11You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Devotion
Some of you probably know that in February, I suffered a brain aneurysm and had to be hospitalized for neurosurgery. It was a dark and difficult time for my family and me. For almost a week, we didn’t know what the future would be, and the only the very slimmest hope was set before us.
Reading this Psalm now, after my illness, very different things stand out. Taking refuge in God at a time when survival itself is questionable is no small comfort. The presence of God – and of God’s people – meant so much to me in those days, and my gratitude is almost overwhelming. To those who say we are not a praying church, I say, “You are wrong.’ I received literally thousands of e-mails from people who promised me their prayers, and my restoration to health is nothing short of miraculous.
I know that not everyone has the experience of healing that I had – God’s ways remain beyond our understanding. But these days, I am finding joy in the presence of God, fulfillment in the path of life, and thankfulness that ministry remains before me.
Prayer
Oh God, show us the path of life. In your presence, there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Amen.