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“Lord, apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalm 16:2

What prompted David, in this Psalm, to declare: “You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing”? Life was not going well for David! He was clearly in some kind of danger or trouble and is crying out to God for protection. Psalm 16:1 David knows that it is God who confines his life. It is God who sets the boundaries of his life, whether it is easy or difficult. Psalm 22:19-21 But David, in his despair, trusts God. He clings on to knowing that God is good and whatever course God chooses for David, he trusts Him. David is in immediate need of safety but he looks forward to the future safety of the eternal inheritance that God has promised him. Psalm 16: 5-6 The result is that David knows his situation is not worthy of total distress. He can rest. God has not abandoned him. Psalm 16:9-10 Crying out for help usually comes when we feel helplessly hemmed in by a situation. It is only when we need protection that God can provide a refuge for us. Rightly, we ask God for safekeeping in many different situations in our lives, but the ultimate refuge is the safety of eternal life that God gives us. The inheritance made known to David is the same path of life that God has made known to us. Psalm 16:11, Proverbs 15:24 NLT In the New Testament, the apostle Peter quotes David’s words from this Psalm Acts 2:25-28 when he witnesses that through Jesus Christ we receive a wonderful eternal inheritance.

This is summed up in “A Real Reason for Hope: Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, He has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then He will save you, just as He has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while.” 1 Peter 1:3-6 CEV