Psalm 16:1-3 Michtam of David. "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (2) O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; (3) But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight."
Let me first begin by addressing the word, Michtam, which means to inscribe
indelibly. It carries the idea of these words being permanently written on the
heart. It is a good thing for us to remember that all our strength, confidence,
and ability comes from the Lord. As a result, our trust is placed in His
ability to preserve us all the days of our lives and on into eternity. We
aren't told the circumstances in which David was writing these words, but it
was very important to him that he be reminded of God's preserving grace. He
presents the contrast of those who bow to idols by reminding us of the great
favor that is ours through our blessed Lord. I want to highlight a few of the
thoughts that he gives us concerning his relationship with the Lord. We serve
the same God as David; therefore, we have the opportunity to experience the
very same blessings.
You will find the following thoughts in verses 6-11 of this 16th Psalm. David
says, "I have a goodly heritage." We have been given an incredible
inheritance that is a constant stream of blessings which flow into and through
our lives. This is why David said in verses two and three, "My goodness
extends not to thee, but to the saints in the earth." We are not to hoard
the blessings for ourselves; rather, we share them through our interaction with
others. Jesus described this inheritance in this way, "He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water." (John 7:38) That inheritance also includes the wonderful counsel
that God has given to us through His Holy Word. Through understanding this
great truth we can say with David, "I have set the LORD always before
me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." (Psalm 16:8)
The result of God always being before us causes our hearts to be glad. We have
been given the blessed assurance that God's grace and favor upon us is not only
in this life, but the promise continues on in eternity. "For thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption." Yes, this primarily concerns our Lord Jesus Christ, but we
are joint-heirs with Him; therefore we also can hold this promise of
resurrection. In verse 11, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore." (Psalm 16:10-11) If we truly understand these great things,
then we can say with David, "I have set the LORD always before me."
He is our preservation and He is our filter through which we should send
our thoughts, words, and actions. "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I
put my trust."