What are the things you enjoy? For some it may be a home that is well-furnished and decorated, for others there may be collections of things. Still others enjoy recreational opportunities such as a boating, golfing or sports. I enjoy researching family history. Most of us find that time with family and friends is near the top of our list of enjoyments, but even that is threatened in a time of pandemic. In Psalm 16:2, David, who as a king could have nearly anything he wanted, recognized that without God in his life, he would have nothing that was really good.
In today’s passage we are reminded of some of the good things a relationship with God affords. One of them is God’s direction in life (Ps. 16:8-11). Life is filled with decisions and choices that may be stressful, but by seeking God’s leading through his Word and his Spirit guiding us we can find the path of God’s blessing, from birth until death.
Another is protection. David faced many enemies in his life, and was often in danger, but he felt safe and secure in the shelter of God’s care. In Psalm 17:6-8, he pleads for the Lord to protect him like a mother hen sheltering her chicks under her wings. We, too, can run to him when the enemy of our soul attacks.
The best thing still awaits us: God will not abandon us even in death (Ps. 16:10). Like Jesus, we will awaken to new life, and we will see our Lord face to face (Ps. 17:15). That sort of goodness is awaiting us when Jesus returns to set up his kingdom in a new heaven and new earth. That’s something worth seeking above all else during our days on this Earth.
What a glorious thought that according to God’s promise, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12a, NKJV).
Jim Jensen
