Robert's Reflections
August 19, 2001

Archive

Trust in the Lord Always

In Psalms 16 David shows that he realizes that status, power and wealth do not offer any real security or protecfaon from all that life can bring. So, in verse 1, he asks God to preserve him. "Preserve me O God, for in You I put my .trust.  David can ask this of God because of his commitment to Jehovah. (Verse 8) "I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. "

Therefore he has confidence and peace in his request because he trusts in the LORD. (Verse 9) "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. This confidence in God allows David to look forward to something beyond death. "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol.. " (Hebrew for Hades  the place for the dead.} As the verse continues, David makes a prophetic statement about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. "Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. " (Verse 10). It is apparent that David believes in a resurrection from the dead, and is looking to the coming Messiah, making reference to His resurrection. (I am confident that David did not fully understand the implications concerning the death of Jesus Christ).

Then he concludes this wonderful psalm in Verse I 1. "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. " There can be no doubt that David knew God was faithful, and would bless those who followed Him with their whole heart. The results would be: life, joy and blessings forever more.

It strikes me that we all should consciously try to trust in God like David, and recognize that anyone who fails to do so will not have: life, or joy, or blessings. These cannot look confidently to the resurrection as a day of life. But any who will follow God can, like David, rest in hope that the resurrection will bring everlasting bliss in God's presence forever.

Robert