Psalm 16:11

(Today’s post is the last post in a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

You have made known to me the path of life;

You will fill me with joy in Your presence, 

With eternal pleasures at Your right hand.  Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

 

Path – manner; way; well-traveled path; way of living

Life – age; living

Joy – glee; pleasure; mirth

Presence – face; in the face of; in front of

Eternal – continual; never ending; everlasting

Pleasures – pleasant; sweet; lovely; agreeable things

Right hand – literal right hand. Often used in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s divine blessing, favor, protection

 

In his final verse, David wraps up Psalm 16 with a declaration of God’s goodness and praise for what He has done for him.

He acknowledges God has shown him which path he wants David’s life to take.

David says he knows God will fill him with joy when he comes into God’s presence, and that God will fill him with never-ending goodness because he trusts in Him.

David knows he has good things ahead for him, both in this life and in the life to come, simply because he trusts and walks with God.

 

God will do the same for us.

Because He loves us and wants good for us, God will show us the path of life He wants us to take.

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Psalm 16:9-10

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

My body also will rest secure,

10Because You will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.  Psalm 16:9-10 (NIV)

 

Heart – feelings, intent, will

Glad – cheered up, grateful, joyful

Tongue – language, speech

Rejoices – shows joy, feels joyful

Body – flesh, actual physical body

Rest – live, dwell, continue, settle down

Secure – safe, refuge, feel trust

Abandon – leave, forsake, leave behind, neglect

Grave – pit, place of no return

Holy One – pious, godly, good one (person)

Decay – destruction, decomposition, pit, grave

 

 

The verses Psalm 16:9-10 are connected to and follow up verse 8.

That verse says:

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because He is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.  – Psalm 16:8 (NIV)

 

In this verse, David is declaring he has put the Lord first in his life.

He is also declaring that God is walking with him.

Because of this he won’t be shaken – meaning he won’t be scared, unsteady, or uncertain.

He knows he can count on the Lord.

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Psalm 16:8

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because He is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.  – Psalm 16:8 (NIV)

 

Set – placed, put in that spot

Lord – Yahweh

Before – in front of; ahead of

Right hand – a symbol of God’s divine blessing, favor, protection

Shaken – fall, slip, slide; scared, unsteady, uncertain

 

In this verse, David says he puts God always before him.

He is telling us he keeps God first and foremost in his heart and mind, and in his life.

 

David knows God is walking with him through life (at his right hand).

He knows that because of this He doesn’t have to feel unsteady or scared.

He knows he won’t stumble.

David can look to God for strength, courage, and comfort.

 

An important part of our faith walk is setting the Lord always before us.

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Psalm 16:7

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

I will praise the Lord. who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me. Psalm 16:7 (NIV)

 

Praise – bless, kneel down to, boast about

Lord – Yahweh, God’s proper name

Counsels – advises

Heart – reins, control of self; seat of emotion and affection, innermost being

Instructs – teaches me what is right; educates me

 

In this verse, David is expressing his appreciation for the way God leads him and guides him in many different areas..

He is saying God is so good to him that even at night when he is sleeping, God is still working on his heart about things and helping him to know what is right.

 

David knew something very important.

He knew it’s not just during a dedicated prayer time that the Lord counsels us.

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Psalm 16:5-6

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup;

You have made my lot secure.

6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6 (NIV)

 

Lord – Yahweh – God’s proper name

Assigned – set aside for one particular person or purpose

Portion – ration, serving, measurement

Cup – container used to hold something together

Lot – portion, position, path of life

Secure – keep, hold tight, make sure

Boundary – measuring line

Fallen – landed, ended up

Pleasant – agreeable, sweet, good

Inheritance – something received as a gifting, usually from one in line above you

 

In these verses David addresses God as Yahweh, which is God’s proper name.

He is not referring to any of God’s attributes or characteristics, he is talking directly to God.

David is acknowledging the Lord has chosen what his portion and lot in life will be.

He is also saying he realizes God has set the boundaries of his life and that they have fallen in a good way.

He is sure he will have a good life and future because of this.

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Psalm 16:3-4

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

As for the saints who are in the land,

They are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight;

4The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.  Psalm 16:3-4 (NIV)

 

Saints – holy ones; those who follow after God

Glorious – good, noble, honorable, excellent

Delight – desired, valuable thing, acceptable

Sorrows – pain, wounds, hardships, struggles

Libations – offerings, like an offering to a god

Take Up – accept, bear (the weight of), deal with, tolerate

Names – name, by implication honor, authority, character

 

In these two verses David is contrasting the two types of people.

Those who are holy and follow after God and those who don’t.

He says he delights in those who are holy and follow God but he wants nothing to do with those who chase after other gods.

 

David tells us the ones who follow after God are noble and honorable.

They are someone to value and accept.

 

David warns that those who run after other gods will see their sorrows increase because they aren’t following God.

Because God is not their God He won’t protect them from bad things that might happen nor from their own poor choices.

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Psalm 16:2

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

I say to the Lord,

“You are my Lord;

Apart from You I have no good thing.”  Psalm 16:2 (NIV)

 

Master – owner of a slave or servant; king or ruler over another. This title is given to someone who has absolute authority over another.

 

In this passage, the word Lord is used twice.

The first time it is translated from Yahweh, which is God’s proper name.

The second time it is translated from Adonai, which means Master.

By using these two different words, David is telling God that he recognizes that He (Yahweh) is his Master (Adonai).

He is declaring loyalty to God and recognizing God as ruler over him.

David knew serving God and allowing God to rule over him and his life is what would bring him true happiness.

He knew that allowing God to be his Master meant he could trust God to show him what to do and how to live his life in a way that was not only best for him in the long run, but was also honoring and pleasing to God.

 

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Psalm 16:1

(Today’s post is part of a series on Psalm 16. You can find all the posts on my Psalm 16 page.)

 

Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. Psalm 16:1 (NIV)

 

Safe – guarded, protected, attended to – in some Bible versions this word is translated Preserve

Refuge – flee to for protection, confide in, have hope in, have trust in, to hide away in – in some Bible versions this word is translated Trust

 

This verse is a request for protection.

David is asking God to protect him and declaring he trusts Him for that protection..

David tells God he is seeking refuge in Him.

 

To take refuge in God means we are clinging to Him.

We see Him as our shelter, a safe place to hide.

When we take refuge in God, we choose to trust Him and His love for us.

We flee to Him for protection, even when nothing is chasing us.

We make staying very close to Him part of our everyday life.

We are trusting Him to be a fortress we can safely stay in that will shield us from harm.

 

David also asks God to keep him safe.

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Psalm 16 Series

I’m writing a series on Psalm 16.

Twice a week I’ll share a verse and what I’m learning about it.

I’ll also tag my Psalm 16 page.

It contains all the posts I’ve written for Psalm 16.

I hope you will follow along with me.

 

A few things to know about Psalm 16:

Written by King David around 1000 B.C., it is a Praise Psalm.

David focuses on his commitment to God and states he knows he needs God and that turning from Him creates sorrows.

He goes on to say he knows God has blessed him with a good life and that it is God that determines our lot in life.

David concludes with praise for God because he knows God will protect and take care of him for all of his life.

 

Psalm 16 is also called a miktam of David.

No one knows what the word miktam actually means.

Only six Psalms are labeled this way: Psalms 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60.

 

Psalm 16 is also called a Messianic* psalm because it contains prophecy about the coming Savior.

In verse 10 it references Jesus as the Holy One and states He will not see decay.

 

If you are new to reading Scripture or just starting to dive deep, this is a good psalm to start with.

I hope you will read Psalm 16 and then come back and share with me what you are learning.

 

I’d love to hear your feedback.

Please feel free to comment or email me.

Karen

 

 

*Messianic – describing or relating to a Messiah. In Christianity, it refers specifically to Jesus Christ See John 4:25-26.

 

To see all the posts I’ve shared in this series, please visit my Psalm 16 page.

 

To learn more about what a Psalm is, please visit my post ,What is the Book of Psalms?

 

 

 

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If You Are Struggling…

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, I want you to know:

I know things seem impossibly hard.

You are not alone.

There is help.

At the bottom of this page is a list of resources.

I hope you will contact one of them..

 

If you are not comfortable reaching out to them, that’s okay.

You can reach out to me.

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Reach out.

To me, to a friend, to a religious leader.

I know there seems no way, but God has a plan. We just haven’t seen it yet.

Hang around so we can find that plan together.

You’ve got this.

I believe in you.

 

I hope you will use one of the resources below and reach out to them.

 

Call or text 988. Volunteers are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are waiting to hear from you. Available in English or Spanish.

They also have a website where you can chat. The website also has resources for deaf/hard of hearing people.

Their website is 988 Lifeline

 

Military members and veterans have unique struggles. A hotline has been set up for anyone with military experience, active, reserve, or retired. Call 988 then press 1. You can also text 838255 to contact someone who understands. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can find out more or chat with someone by visiting their website, called, Veterans Crisis Line

This resource is open to all branches of the military, including Coast Guard and Space Force.

 

Another good resource is the Crisis Textline. Text them at 741741 or visit their website, You can reach out to them anytime day or night by clicking here…. Crisis Textline. They also have resources for anxiety, bullying, depression, grief, and other needs.

 

The Trevor Project provides text, chat, and phone call support to those who identify as LGBTQ+. They can be found here – The Trevor Project They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

Whichever resource you choose, I hope you will reach out to someone and get the support you need and remember:

God loves you and so do I.

.

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

 

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

 

 

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