Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
I said to the Lord, “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 bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the Lord guide me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being 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;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures. —Psalm 16
Understanding what we possess in God provides
David understood God as…
My
My
My
My
My
My
My
My
My
Understanding what we have in God brings
“The incomplete self must die in order that the true self may rise. ’Unless the grain of what falling into the ground dies, itself alone remains; but if it dies it brings about much fruit.” —Cloud of Unknowing
Understanding God’s interaction in our lives brings us
“I have nothing good besides you.” —Psalm 16:2
“Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being 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; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” —Psalms 16:9-11
“Hoping does not mean doing nothing…It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what He said He will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it His way and in His time.” —Eugene Peterson
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” —Thomas Merton
“What would you lose if you did not have God?”
“I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him…the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” —John 14:18-21, 26
For further study:
Scripture: Acts 2:14, 22-32; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
Resources: “Thoughts in Solitude” by Thomas Merton
Community Group Guide:
Tell each other about one thing God has helped you understand that you possess in him. How has this brought peace to your soul?
To prepare for next week: Burning Hearts; Luke 24:13-35