Meditate.
Are you alone?
King David said this about him: 'I see that the LORD
is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder
my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For
you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the
grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of
your presence.' "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the
patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and
his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had
promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his
throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's
resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or
allow his body to rot in the grave. "God raised Jesus from the dead, and
we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor
in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him
the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. Acts
2:25-33
This passage is referring to David and what he wrote in
Psalm 16. The Message gives us a very readable version.
My feet are on the life path.
The light of the world is shining on me.
Hold my hand.
My
choice is you, God,
first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a
house and yard. And then you made me your heir! The
wise counsel God gives
when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick
with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go. I’m
happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled
my ticket to hell—that’s not my destination! Now you’ve
got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since
you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Psalm 16:5-11 The Message
Not only is David aware that the Lord is with him…and us…always,
but we are told that we are God’s choice. How special is that? Did you know
that as you search for God…He is drawing you to Himself? He chose you…even
before you were born. There is a classic verse in Jeremiah which we can apply
to every person. God knows everyone before they are born even if they are not
prophets of the Lord.
"I
knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set
you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." Jeremiah
1:5
I like how Eugene Peterson paraphrased the verses in Psalm 16. I’m
happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You
canceled my ticket to hell—that’s not my destination! I guess everyone who
doesn’t choose God, chooses hell. But as David said…You canceled my ticket
to hell! What a great promise. Hell, as I understand it, is a horrible
place. A lake of fire. Gnashing teeth. Ugh! I certainly don’t want to go there.
Do you? Knowing that we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ always is so much
better. My heart is happy, is at peace, and is full of hope. The Lord is always
with me.
Prayer ~ God…please be merciful to me, to my family, and
to my friends. For as You said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I
choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose." So, it is You who
decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. From Romans
9:15-16
Verse of Salvation ~ As for us, we can't help but thank
God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always
thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation
that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the
truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
© 2021 Text, photos and
illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House
Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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