THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD
PSALM 16:5-11
PSALM 16:5-11 NKJV
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
OBSERVATION:
Here is another psalm where David is declaring the goodness of the Lord and what the Lord is to him.
David says the Lord alone is his inheritance, his cup of blessing. He declares that the Lord is the One who guards what belongs to him.
There are times when a translation is a bit unclear as to what is meant. And times when words have changed meaning. That is the value of a good bible study guide with different translations. In verses five and six, I went to the New Living Translation to gain a clearer understanding.
Verse six says, "the land you have given me is a pleasant land." "What a wonderful inheritance."
David expresses praise for God who has given him counsel. And that counsel is from the Lord to his heart in the night.
David keeps the Lord in his thoughts and is aware of His presence. Setting the Lord always before me implies this is a conscious action of David's.
And because David is conscious of the nearness of God's presence, he is not moved or shaken by circumstances.
Because of the goodness of the Lord, David is glad and has a sense of peace and rest.
Verse ten is a prophetic word that pertains to Jesus. He rose up from Sheol, or the abode of the dead, and His body never decayed.
Then David shifts back to the Lord's goodness in showing him the path of life and the joy that comes from God's presence.
APPLICATION:
As we look at these verses, we can mirror what David is saying about the Lord's goodness.
We can thank the Lord that He is our inheritance and our cup of blessing. He provides good things for us and guards what we entrust to Him.
We can trust that the Lord will give us counsel in the night when we are quiet and can hear what He whispers to our hearts.
We can keep the Lord in our thoughts and become more conscious of Him. Because He is with us, we are glad, not sad. And we are strong, not shaken.
The Lord will show us the path of life in every situation when we look to Him. The Lord is good.