~ Psalm 16 ~ Spiritual Journey From the Beginning to the End of the Psalm

~ Psalm 16 ~ Spiritual Journey From the Beginning To The End Of The Psalm ~

This exquisite Psalm yields tremendous comfort. It is absolutely remarkable! It readily renders the possibility that one can discover solace, happiness and a marvelous, splendid consoling refuge in the Lord. This is not an idealistic impractical philosophy but a tangible prosperous infallible spiritual truth! This Psalm exudes a humble confidence that one can only find when you spend regular and consistent time in the presence of the Lord!

As you spend time with the Lord your love and respect for Him deepens and flourishes. Your Hope and Trust in Him will blossom. It will matter more to you what He thinks about you. Your desire to please him continually increases. Here is an opportunity to commence developing your very own personal, ongoing, growing intimate relationship with Him. We have been given this opportunity through Jesus Christ. Once we accept Jesus into our hearts His Holy Spirit takes up residence within our hearts. This opens us up for a marvelous ongoing relationship with the Lord which continues through eternity! Through Jesus Christ we can experience VICTORY over the grave which momentarily becomes a transitory resting place… We can REJOICE knowing we have inherited the precious Gift of Eternal Life!

As we develop our relationship with the Lord we discover that there is nothing more important! As you vertically and spiritually align yourself with the Lord and you allow Him His place in your life your horizontal relationship with others begins to change. You realize that all you need is in the Lord… Now you need Him to guide you, what to do or not to do as you relate to others. Here is where we can receive HIS JOY which is part of the FRUIT of HIS SPIRIT! We can feel HIS JOY even during our deepest trouble or sorrows because we realize that ultimately everything is under His control. This is why it is so important to spend time with Him each day. This how we build our Trust & Faith in HIM!

GOD WANTS TO BE THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES

As long as we are on this side of heaven the Lord is working on us. However we must not excuse any sin in our lives or the lives of others. We must allow His Holy Spiritual to continuously mold and shape us from the inside out! In order for us to be transformed we must consistently acknowledge any sin, repent, and submit ourselves to the Lord! His WORD is our Spiritual Food it is here we can be refueled and refreshed and strengthened. His WORD teaches us that we must learn to: “Finally, be strong in THE LORD and in HIS MIGHTY POWER…” Ephesians 6. In of ourselves we can do nothing in Him we can be strong. As we draw closer to the Lord and walk the Narrow Path fewer people will understand you, but remember understanding comes from the Lord!

Prayer is a spoken or unspoken prerequisite because it is what KEEPS us connected to the LORD This is when we experience spiritual intimacy. God already knows everything about us. Praying fervently to Him is important. It is how often we communicate with Him that matters most… We must keep in touch continuously ask for the infilling presence of His Holy Spirit! Our relationship with the Lord continues through forever! We have inherited the Gift of eternal Life through Jesus Christ! God is The Ultimate FATHER!

When these Psalms were scribed Jesus Christ had not come in the flesh. Here David shares with us that even if he were to die he was assured of his relationship with the Lord! He knew that the grave was not the end of his life. This Psalm prophecies that when the LORD comes who is His HOLY ONE, He will not see decay! This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead! We can trust God’s Word! We now know that Jesus rose from the grave. He is “The Resurrection and the Life!” “For in CHRIST ALL the fullness of the Deity LIVES in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in CHRIST, who is THE HEAD over every power and authority.” Ephesians 2. WOW! KNOW that there is nothing or nobody greater than Jesus! We must learn to Trust Him, Believe His Word, Obey and then entrust ourselves to HIM. In Jesus Christ we can discover ALL that we will ever need or is necessary to live a fulfilling life. He is the Potter we are the clay! We were created for His Glory!

Here we are able to see David’s dependency on the Lord as well. This marvelous Psalm is known as a michtam of David. Michtam means to cover. A michtam is thought of as a possible silent prayer or a prayer that indicates protection. This is a prayer of atonement. Again we see the significance of prayer!

It is recommended that this entire Psalm is read and meditated upon. There is an immeasurable wealth of wisdom throughout all these magnificent Psalms!

Book of Praise Lesson Highlights

BOOK 1

“A Psalm of David.” Guidelines for living a blameless life.

Theme: The Joys and Benefits of a life lived in companionship with God. We enjoy these benefits now and eternally.

Author: David

It appears that there is again possibly some sort of imminent danger upon David. The Bible records numerous times when David’s life was threatened. David’s rise to the throne was not without its complications. He was pursued vigilantly by King Saul. Although he was David’s father in law his short lived affections soured and actually turned to fury and rage. He actually then became David’s furious aggressor and he had to on many occasions to run for his life.

It is not clear what dilemna is upon David at this time… However his close relationship with the Lord again becomes quite apparent. It is evident he knows where to go to find a safe haven, and sanctuary. Therefore he candidly beseeches the Lord to: “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.”

David acknowledges the Lord as his All and All! He recognizes that there was nothing, no one nor any other source of good! Clearly to him Jehovah is Lord and in Him alone was his happiness. He was often in the company of nobility and those of great influential power but this is not where he found his happiness. King David had power, authority, a wealth of possessions and many wives … Yet none of it or them held a candle to the Lord! David knew that it was in the Lord he really found his source of all that he needed!

I said to the Lord, “You are My Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.”

During this era in history there were many who outwardly worshipped many idol gods hich were carved out of wood, or crafted out of metal and stone. We as Christians are charged to be monotheistic in our belief that there is only One GOD. Here we are reminded and admonished not to put anyone or anything before the Lord. When or if one does there is a penalty… “The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.”

Praise and worship should be an ongoing part of our lives. When we praise the Lord we express our sincere admiration and thanks to Him for who He is. When we gather together with others in service to Praise the Lord, He should be the main focus of our agenda. God is truly worthy of our praise. This Psalm represents the Faith of the faithful and the Power in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

In the Lord we can find wise counsel. His Word contains a plethora of spiritual nourishment. It is manna for the soul. We can find a sense of stability when we regularly spend time with the Lord! In Him we can build a solid foundation! We can find a quiet humble yet powerful confidence that can sometimes be misconstrued… In the previous 15^th Psalm we learned we do not have to be shaken when we walk in the ways of the Lord! We can daily "Walk in the Light" Prayer keeps us connected. Spiritual growth is a continuing process. The Lord is available to each of us 24/7! Rest assured that He is nearby even during night time or our darkest hour! God is able to keep us from falling.

We should make it a point to ask and seek Him first before we proceed when we are not sure of the path forward.Too often He is consulted afterwards which causes anxiety and heartaches… David shares with us that the Lord will not leave us in the grave. He is the Giver and sustainer of Life! Through Jesus Christ we have Eternal Life! We can live victoriously through Jesus knowing that He has the Power to help us at anytime. We however must be willing to sincerely and humbly submit to His will and His way! “I will PRAISE the LORD, who counsels me even at night my heart instructs me.”

God truly can provide us with His Peace that surpasses the understanding of man. We can find Joy in Him! David too discovered that the Joy in the Lord supersedes anything. The Joy of the Lord is so much deeper than the surface fleeting joy the world has to offer. His Joy will sustain us even through our deepest sorrows. We can start each day inviting His Presence into our lives by asking Him to fill us with His precious Holy Spirit and ask Him to refuel us and fill us throughout the day. He can become our everlasting Joy, once we truly learn and embrace the Truth of His Word. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because The One who is in you is Greater than the one who is in the world.” I John 4.

We must be aware that wickedness does exist all about us. Be aware? Of course! But fear not! Know that it wants to dim or extinguish the Light of the Lord from shining within our lives. It wants to ensnare you and get you to focus on something or someone other than the Lord! We do not have to live in fear, but instead focus on Jesus Christ being Divine yet human as the Center of our worship! He is our Savior & Lord! God is Omnipresent in Him is ALL POWER!

God created us for His Glory and wants to be a part of All areas of our life! You can only find true “Security and Significance" in the Lord! The Lord will never leave nor forsake His own! GOD will and can impart HIS JOY to US! He is always available to help us "Walk in the Light!" When we “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM and HE WILL make your path straight!” Proverbs 3. "To GOD Be THE GLORY!" PRAISE GOD!

This Psalms concludes saying: “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!"