Faith and Hope
OPENING PRAYER:
Faithful One, I come before you today with faith and thanksgiving, remembering your great grace toward me.
READ: PSALM 16
A miktam[a] of David.
1 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.
Footnotes
[a] Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
;[b] Psalm 16:10 Or holy
PSALM 16
REFLECT:
Think of something that encourages you in the present and something that gives you hope for the future.
The psalm falls into two sections. Verses 1-8 speak of the psalmist’s present faith and verses 9-11 speak of his future hope. In each section there is a threat.
Verses 1-8. What are the marks of the psalmist’s faith in the Lord? Identify which of these you relate to most. Hold that in your mind. Verses 3 and 4 contrast two groups of people. First, those who follow the Lord – the psalmist takes great pleasure in associating with them (v 3). Second, those who worship other gods – they are a threat to the psalmist, and he refuses to have anything to do with them (v 4). What might these two verses say to us today about those who put possessions, wealth, or success before God?
Verses 9-11 speak about the future hope the psalmist has in the Lord. What are the marks of this? To which of these do you relate most strongly? Keep that in your mind. The threat to the psalmist’s future hope comes as the threat of death and bodily decay (v 10). Verse 11 reminds us that for those who trust the Lord, death is not a threat, but opens the door to eternity in his presence.
APPLY:
Remember the aspects of present faith (vs 1-8) and future hope (vs 9-11) that encouraged you. How do these truths in God’s Word strengthen your faith?
CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me to stand strong in my faith, no matter what circumstances life brings my way.
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