Psalm 16:7-11
It
is so easy to get lost along the road of life. There are so many distractions. Some
states are even outlawing some of those distractions. I heard about a man who
got a ticket for eating a burger while he was driving. I hope it wasn’t a
veggie burger! Of course cellphone and texting are not off the official list of
“It’s OK to do these things while driving.” I’m not saying that these
distracting things should be done. I am sure you have seen your share of slowness,
drifting and weaving as a result of these activities. I know I have. But to
give a ticket? Perhaps it was an extra ticket on top of some other offense.
Our
spiritual life can get off course by distraction as well. So many things can be
used by Satan to get us off His best. Satan doesn’t have to kill us. He can
just make us ineffective in our walk and He has succeeded. If we don’t bear
fruit, we are just a dead stick. I don’t want to be a dead stick! I want life
and life abundant.
Our
writer has put himself in the protective shelter of the LORD. He has resisted
joining with those who actively seek false gods. And as a result he is experiencing
plenty, although not necessarily the way we would measure plenty.
He
receives counsel, wisdom from the LORD, even at night. Often nights can be times
when our worries and cares send us on unproductive detours. We start down the
negative rabbit trail and spend hours worrying about things that will never
happen. Instead, he receives encouragement during the night. His heart does the
instructing. This means that he must have put God’s wisdom into his heart if
during the night wisdom comes back out. Nothing in, nothing out. This is one of
the reasons it is important for us to be in the Word. We need the Word washing
us, cleaning out all the unproductive trains of thought.
He
focuses on the LORD rather than some other place. He exercises his faith. He
could turn, but he doesn’t. And as a result he feels secure. Every part of him
is secure. He is not trying to divide himself up into parts, but is telling us
that every part of him is on board with what the LORD is doing in his life. NIV
says heart, tongue and body. All of him sees the LORD as their refuge and
safety.
Verse
ten is quoted by Peter in the first post-Pentecost sermon referring to Jesus
and His resurrection. In our psalm the writer says these things as an
expression of faith in the middle of his struggle for safety. He expresses
confidence that the current situation will not end in his death. He also
expresses his faith that even if he dies, death is not the end. There are
eternal pleasures when we are in proper relationship to the LORD.