3 As for the saints who on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips. 5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheri- tance and my cup; You maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance. 7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night sea- sons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
—Psalm 16:3-8
SOMETIMES, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at not only how we spend our time but also at those with whom we spend it. David realized that he wanted to surround himself with people who were going in the same direction that he was. He wanted to spend his time with others who willingly submitted to God as Lord and Master. David knew that those who “hasten after” other gods will only wind up with their sorrows multiplied. From this we can understand another element of what it means to live a godly life: We will have a love for the practices and people of God.
Nowadays, it’s popular to ignore established universal moral standards and ethics and just let everybody decide what’s right for them. It’s a sad truth that in the last days as we see society yielding to whatever seems right in their own eyes, the world will have more impact on the church than the church will have on the world (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Even so, we are to take the gospel to them.
David calls God’s people “excellent ones” and makes it clear that he won’t permit idolatrous ways to be a part of his life. He loved the practices and the people of God, so it was natural—or perhaps supernatural—for him to do so as a godly man.
When we can recognize God’s blessings in our lives, we, like David, can say that the Lord is our portion and our cup—in other words, God is the source of our blessing. And just as God blessed David, He wants to bless us also in this life. Although some of us may have a hard time understanding or believing that, as we look through the Scriptures, we begin to see a pattern: those whom the Bible records as being significantly blessed materially are those who didn’t seek it. Remember how God rewarded Abraham when he permitted his nephew to claim the best land for himself? God blessed him, while Lot wound up in Sodom. Solomon was given the chance to ask for anything he wanted, and he asked for wisdom to rule God’s people. God granted that to him, and great wealth as well.
Excerpt from “Beside Still Waters” now available on Amazon.
