Psalm 16

I think this Psalm is a reminder that worship isn’t just about the music or the singing but about our heart position towards God. This Psalm was written when David was facing persecution from Saul and was hiding amongst a people that worshipped idols. David was running for his life and without Christian community. This Psalm shows how he made it through that ordeal. Of course this isn’t the only Psalm written when David was in persecution but it shows where his heart is when he is facing opposition. He doesn’t retreat into himself and lament over his situation. My mom always says, “Your reality is not your finality.” David cannot take refuge in his situation so he takes refuge in God. David looked to the promise of God for His reassurance. Verses 5-6 says, “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Verses 7-11 are the crux of this chapter. David tells us how he is able to overcome his situation. He says, “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me.” I love that David is giving himself a pep talk. When we turn internal and dwell on present circumstance it is easy to forget the promises of God. However, David tells himself to worship God. David reminds himself of who God says He is, that’s who God says David is and what God says about Himself. David goes on to talk about the inheritance God promised Him. Verse 11 says, “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.” The amazing thing about verses 8-11 is that Peter refers to them in Acts 2 during his first sermon after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had just taken place, then Paul refers to it in Acts 13 in Antioch. Peter calls David a prophet who, “seeing what was ahead…spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.” I think this parallel begs the question, what happens to us when we worship? The mystery of God is revealed when we worship. As soon as David made the decision to worship God, the entire tone of the Psalm changed. There was no lamenting over a hopeless situation but an establishment of the confidence in the sovereignty of God. That's the promise of worship. That's the power of God.