Psalms
Chapter 16
Keep Me Safe, God, for I Take Refuge in You!
Keep me safe, O God, for in you, I take refuge.
I say to the Lord,“You are my Lord, my only good.”
The gods of the earth are but nothing,cursed be those who delight in them.
Those who run after foreign gods only have their sorrows multiplied.Let me not shed blood for them,nor their names be heard on my lips.
O Lord, my inheritance and my cup,my chosen portion—hold secure my lot.
The best part has been allotted to me. Delightful indeed is my inheritance!
I praise the Lord who counsels me;even at night, my inmost self instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me; for with him at my right hand,I will never be shaken.
My heart, therefore, exults; my soul rejoices;my body, too, will rest assured.
For you will not abandon my soul to the grave,nor will you suffer your holy one to see decay in the land of the dead.
You will show me the path of life,in your presence, the fullness of joy, at your right hand, happiness forever.
Commentaries
16
So much lip service is paid to the one God, and so much activity is directed toward the gods we create for ourselves. Only a thoughtful experience can reveal how hollow these are. The offerings we present yield no real return, only a frenzy to offer more. However, perhaps this experience is necessary for many of us. It may not lead to the high mysticism of the psalmist. We might find it more satisfying if we learn to turn away and seek the more lasting good for a time. Appetite can grow from what it feeds on. There is even a presentiment in this psalm that such a union with God will prove more powerful than death, and in Christ, it did. The risen Lord, so closely united with his Father, descended into the place of death and emerged freely, ascending with his spoils. Nor can death withstand his Body, which is the Church. He promised that the gates of death would not prevail against it. Death, ‘the last enemy,’ is defeated. The resurrection of Christ guarantees our resurrection.
Loyalty to God does not mean being hostile toward those who follow other religions. Instead, this loyalty asks us to reflect on our attachment to all the little gods that burden our lives. Let us not sacrifice our Christian identity on the altar of money.