Yesterday morning I read some encouraging Scripture, including a psalm from Sunday morning – Psalm 16 (HCSB).
I was under a time crunch for an important project at work and things are crazy! Please pray for me. All is well now – hopefully it stays that way.
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.
I said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides You.”
As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.
Lord, You are my portion
and my cup of blessing;
You hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord who counsels me—
even at night my conscience instructs me.
I keep the Lord in mind always.
Because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my spirit rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
For You will not abandon me to Sheol;
You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.
My favorite verses in this passage are verse 1 – it is a call for protection and refuge (Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.) Verse 5 reassures that the Lord is in control of all things (Lord, you are my portion), and verse 11 at the end of the passage promises “abundant joy” in the presence of the Lord.
These psalms were written by King David, who faced much peril in life – from predators in the wilderness while he worked as a shepherd, from King Saul (who held the throne before David), and on the battlefield, as he conquered lands to build a kingdom for his son Solomon (who became well known for his wisdom). David held true in his faith to the Lord and was protected throughout his time on the battlefield and in times of peace.
Personally, I know I feel most contented when I remember that the Lord has what is best for me in mind. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” I know there are times when I have realized that I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t have a traumatic brain injury. Some trials can eventually bring us to triumph later on…
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