Psalm 16

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

2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."

3 As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made 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 have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is 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 grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11 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.

In this time and age, how many of us can truly say to God "You are my Lord, apart from You I have no good thing." (verse 2)?

This seemingly simple statement encompasses really deep meanings. To me, the most important and obvious one is that to have a close personal relationship with God is far more crucial than any other thing that we could possibly have - including family, money, friends, life partner, etc.

I honestly do think that I can say this statement with 100% conviction. There were times that I struggle in terms of surrendering things dear to my heart to the Lord. But I do know that I'm walking towards it. Now, I have learnt to surrender more things to Him than in the past.

And when we come to terms with verse 2, tremendous blessings will flow into our lives, as mentioned by the psalmist from verse 5 - 11.

One of the things mentioned is "contentment". It's when we recognize that God is the giver of everything, and that whatever things we have is of the right amount and degree. (Yes, we can always ask God to bless us with more, but the key is to be satisfied even if God don't give) Then gladness of heart and joy will overflow in our lives.


Sadly, one of the reasons why there are so many wars is that there are people who are dissatisfied with what they already possess, especially in terms of geographical space. Nations invade nations to gain more land and resources. They are not satisfied with their portion, lot and boundary lines. They just want more.

Personally, I'm really thankful for the things that God has blessed me with, be it family, ministry, relationship, career and financial resources. I'm very contented at this point actually, except for one thing. I've been called up for reservist. That is an area whereby I need to learn to be contented about and thank God for it.


Things to ponder
1. How satisfied are you with the overall state of your life at the present moment? Give a rating from 1 to 10 (10 is very satisfied).
2. What are one or two areas of your life that you feel dissatisfied about?
3. Pray and thank God for what you already have. Pray and ask for more in the areas you feel dissatisfied about, but remember not to feel resentful if this prayer is not answered. God will surely have reasons if that happens.


Dear Heavenly Father, truly apart from You, I have no good thing. Every blessing in my life originated from You. Thank You for giving me so much. Lord, I pray that I would continue to desire to have intimacy with You every day of my life, more than any other thing. And Lord, I know that I am weak and can be easily distracted. Help me to always stay focused on You. Help me to be always thankful in every situation in my life - including my reservist call up. Thank You Father. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 16