The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
David gets right to the point in verse 2 when he says “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” However, that sends my mind in two different directions… First, that nothing else is good in comparison to God, and so He is the most important in our lives. But almost “under the radar” is the idea that we have nothing good without Him, which is equally true.
He is at once enough, and the source for any blessing we might enjoy in this life. For the former, David tells us that God gives us direction in the way we should live, that he is our source of strength, and our rescue from danger (and worse). Besides which, God is also our source of joy, and pleasures beyond this material world. He is sustenance for our very souls, which we are prone to forget, as our physical body always demands our attention.
But both in the physical and the spiritual, God is the source for our provision, and for any blessing we enjoy. Nothing we have would exist apart from Him, and that is not something to take for granted. We are but stewards, entrusted with marvelous gifts. Our very body is a gift from God, not to be taken lightly or scoffed at. Our homes, our family, and any financial gain we might enjoy belongs to God, and it is our responsibility, with the direction he gives us in vv. 7,11, to manage it well.
David thanks God for it all, and so should we also, and then we should seek His face for wisdom and counsel to manage it according to His good and perfect will. Find His joy and strength in whatever state you find yourself, and look to Him, the source of it all.