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.

Delight yourself in the Lord...

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (NIV). Some people see this and believe that if they just pray some here, or read their bible there, or sing this worship song, etc, that God will give them whatever they want. If that is you, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but that’s not how it works. You can’t trick God into giving you those things that you think will make you happy. Having a relationship with God is unveiling a mystery that will never be completely solved during this lifetime, it is infinitely renewable, and is as full of surprises as the first time you felt His truth. Let’s take a closer look at this scripture:

• To delight oneself means to take or seek pleasure in; to enjoy (http://www.dictionary.com)
• Lord is more than just another name for God. The title Lord means that person has lordship over your life and over what you do. They reign in supremacy in your decisions, actions, and emotions.
• “He will give you…” If God says He will do something, He will do it. There is no hesitation or doubt.
• “The desires of your heart.” This is what is the most important. Notice our desires come last in this sequence. Our desires cannot come into fruition until we have first made the vertical connection with God. There are many other examples of this in the bible. Judges 20:18 shows how the Israelites were about to fight the Benjamites and they asked God before doing anything who should they send first. God says “Judah shall go first.” Not only is it significant that the Israelites asked God before moving, but God said Judah was to go first. Judah means praise. Look what happens when you establish a relationship with God first. Verse 35 of that same chapter in Judges says, “the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel…”

When you delight yourself in the Lord, you become closer to Him. You begin to understand His personality, see His Characteristics, and know His heart. When you are close to God, you become more and more like Him. He is light and there is no darkness in the light (John 1:5-7). As you become more and more like Him, His desires become your desires. Therefore, God will not have any problem giving you the desires of your heart because they are what He desires you to have.

It is one thing to read and study this scripture and another to live it. My challenge to you is to discover the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. Become captivated by His presence. Be satisfied in Him first. Then you will see your life and heart change. Then you will see your Benjamin defeated. Then you will see your desires being met. Then you will see His heart to love you.