For the Beauty of the Psalms

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names on my lips.

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

         For the Fullness of the Earth         J.E. Swanson

To be sure, there are more familiar Psalms than Psalm 16, Psalms like the 23rd or Psalm 121, but this little Psalm is a powerhouse. It will sustain us through thick and thin. We make King David's words into our own prayer. 

Why? Just read it. It reminds us of all that is essential:    

Take refuge in God. Apart from God, we have nothing. When we stray and begin to worship other gods, our sorrows will increase. God alone is our portion and our cup; God alone is enough. We can live through our darkest imaginings because God is always at our right hand; always present. God will never give us up to the Pit, and will never forsake us. 

For all of this, I sing praises to the Lord who is my refuge and my strength.  Alleluia!