Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
Psalm 16:1 NLT
I thank the Lord because He gets me up and sends me to read, write and study His word every day. Today as I was thanking the Lord for waking me I also felt the strong need to pray for protection. I even went around my home doing things that I thought would make it a bit more safe from the attacks of evil. And then I sat to write out this Psalm. And the first words were exactly the prayer of my heart that day so far. “Keep me safe, oh God” v.1
My heart was excited to write these words and the next phrase, which is so true and reminded me to be thankful. In fact I am overwhelmed with gratitude and I resonate with this affirmation;
“Every good thing I have comes from you.” v.2. So what do those two phrases have to do with each other?
“Keep me safe, oh God” v.1 and “Every good thing I have comes from you.” v.2
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.v.11
Main Point: Living with God is the ultimate.
Living with God is the ultimate protection.
Do you fear the evil in this world? Is the unrest of the nations and the threat of attack, theft, loss, harm, sickness, or loneliness causing you to fear? Run to God, take refuge in God.
Declare that the Lord is your Master, purpose in your heart for it to be true. Obey God, run to Him for refuge and you have nothing to fear. “My body rests in safety.” v.9
Is the Lord your Master?
Living with God is the ultimate provision.
Why are we afraid of loss? What can evil take from us? Our life is the possession of our Master, the Lord. Every good thing we have is from God, our provider. Our breath, our life, our land, our heroes, our pleasure, our future, our security, our children, our church, our family, our purpose and our ministry are all His. Is Our Master, the Lord, our God not capable of protecting it, of remaking it, of getting it back, of making 5,000+ fish from two (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15)? Even Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. (Hebrews 11:19). No one can take what’s important from you because God gave it and ultimately no one nor nothing can take His love or presence away from you. (Romans 8:38, 39)
Living with God is the ultimate purpose.
I must admit that this thought challenges something I said earlier in the week to someone. David seems to have some conception of life living with God forever, of life after death, of a resurrection. And David’s thoughts are quite complete, both his soul and his body are protected from death’s grip.
“you will not leave my soul among the dead” v.10
(spiritual resurrection)
“(you will not…) allow your holy one to rot in the grave” v.10
(physical resurrection)
“You will show me the way of life” v.11
(SALVATION/JESUS/Power of resurrection)
“granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” v.11
(place and purpose of resurrection) It all ends in heaven with God.
Living with God is the ultimate pleasure. vv.3,5,6,9,11 (Can you find the places I see pleasure in this passage?)
Living with God is the ultimate plan. I have come to you v.2, I will not v.4, I will bless v.7, I will not v.8, You will vv.10-11
Living with God is the ultimate possession. You are my Master v.2, You alone are my inheritance v.5, grant me the joy of your presence v.11
Conclusion: You are invincible if you are with God. Nothing important can be taken from you that He cannot protect and restore. Ultimately it is living with Him and being in His presence that provides all the protection, provision, purpose, pleasure, plan and possession you will ever need.
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