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.

To do that means to put God first – to give Him first priority in all things.

It means to focus on Him first and foremost. in everything we do and ahead of everything we love and care about.

We put God in front of us so we can constantly see and look to Him.

Doing this causes us to be closer to Him and to see that He is always with us.

It allows us to look to God for His protection, wisdom, and guidance.

 

To have God at our right hand means He is walking beside us and is there for us.

The phrase, “at my right hand”, is used in the Old testament to mean divine favor, blessing, protection, power.

So, having God with us means we are in a place to receive these things.

 

Does this mean we’ll never sin again?

Does it mean we won’t ever be scared or unsure?

No – as humans we do look away from God from time-to-time.

When this happens we slip or stumble.

Having God at our right hand means is if we will keep God first – stay focused on Him – He will walk with us, helping us to fall less and He will help us get back up when we do slip.. .

 

Putting God before us is a conscious choice we must make every day, sometimes every minute.

The result is that He is at our right hand, walking with us.

Because He is always right with us, we do not have to be scared, unsteady, or uncertain.

Instead, we can be calm and confident that He loves us, He wants what’s best for us, and He will always help us.

Always.

 

 

Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.
24You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. – Psalm 73:23-25 (NIV)

 

 

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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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.

As we go along in life He helps us, prompts us, guides us, and educates us.

At all times the Lord is there, ready with wisdom and knowledge, ready to counsel us about any and every thing we might need His help with.

 

I see this a lot in my own life.

I’ll see a verse or subject on several social media posts/sites.

Then, someone will mention it or I will hear it on the radio.

It will come up in my Bible devotions.

Every time that happens it is either in reference to something I am praying about or else something that is coming up in my life the Lord wants to talk to me about.

Whichever it is, it’s always something relevant to my current situation.

It might not be obvious what the connection is, but if I will stop, say a prayer, and look at what I am hearing, the relevance quickly becomes clear.

When I see these patterns it’s not because I am looking for signs.

It is because God is leading and guiding me.

He is showing me the answers I need.

 

His counsel is not limited to what I see and hear as I go about my day.

Sometimes I will pray about something and wake up the next morning with fresh perspective, wisdom, or an idea.

During the night while I was sleeping His Holy Spirit was speaking to me.

Sometimes it is reminding me of Scripture I already know.

Sometimes it is telling me something new.

Sometimes it is a mixture of the two.

Whatever the combination, God’s Spirit is helping me.

This is what David meant when he said his heart counsels him in the night.

 

No matter what is happening in our lives God is always there, offering instruction and advice.

We can trust Him to always guide us on the right path.

I praise Him for His counsel and thank Him for His goodness and generosity in showing me how to live a life that is honoring and pleasing to Him, a life in which He can be glorified.

 

What about you?

Do you see God offering you counsel?

Are there times in your life you see a pattern of a subject coming up?

Do you pray and ask the Lord to help you understand what He might be trying to say to you?

Will you look around and see where He is speaking to you now?

 

 

 

You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Psalm 73:24 (NIV)

 

For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. Psalm 48:14 (NIV)

 

 

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?

 

 

Category: God, Old Testament, Scripture Study, Teaching | LEAVE A COMMENT

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?

 

 

 

Category: God, Lesson Outline, Old Testament, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

Index Cards

When I first started trying to memorize Scripture I used index cards.

The great thing about these cards is you can write the verse you want to learn on a card and carry it around with you so you can look at it throughout the day.

You can also tape a copy of it to the bathroom mirror, the edge of your computer monitor, or some other handy place where you will see it.

The more you read it and look at it the more familiar it will be.

This makes it easier to learn and memorize.

 

 

You might also want to date the cards, jot down on the back of the card anything you come across in your reading or as you go about your day that speaks to you about the verse or shows the verse to be true.

You can also write down prayers about the verse – prayers to better live out the verse, for wisdom to obey it, and/or whatever else is appropriate for that verse.

 

Once you are familiar with the verse and ready to move on to the next verse, you can file it and save it for later.

After a while, you can pull out the cards and read them in the order you wrote them.

You might be surprised to see the story they tell and how they show that God was with you all along, guiding you in that season.

 

If you are trying to memorize Scripture I hope you will try index cards and see if they work for you!

 

 

Want to know more about how to pray Bible verses? Check out my post, Praying Scripture

 

 

 

Category: God, Journaling, Life, Scripture Study, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT

What Is the Book of Psalms?

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

They were written to be used as songs and prayers for praising and worshipping God.

Authors include King David, King Solomon, Asaph, the sons of Korah, and at least four others.

 

There are several kinds of Psalms.

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What are the Epistles?

The Epistles are a group of letters written to Christians during the early years of the church.

Written by Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude, they total twenty one books in the New Testament.

Some are named after the people in the town they were sent to.

These include Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians..

Some are named after the person or people they were sent to.

These include 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews.

The rest were named after the person who wrote them.

These include James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

The author of each Epistle is known except for Hebrews.

No one knows for sure who wrote Hebrews.

 

Most of the Epistles were written to specific churches or people.

Some discussed the specific struggle that particular congregation or person was dealing with as a result of outside situations.

Some addressed conflict within a congregation.

Some offered encouragement within the face of religious persecution and injustice.

Others dealt with false doctrine and the importance of following Jesus’ teaching, not man’s.

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