"You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." Psalm 16:2
There is this lie of the world that is the root of much discontentment and unrest: My satisfaction is directly related to my circumstances.
As Christians we cannot claim that we always live above this lie. We are as guilty as the world of chasing the next thing, the newer thing, whatever will promise us more, better, or best. And as moms…we struggle. Our circumstances feel overwhelming, our schedules are constantly shifting, and the seasons stretch out before us. It is a daily battle for contentment and against comparison as we observe the lives of those around us both online and in person.
It will do us good to read Psalm 16 and to be reminded of who God is and challenged to live resting and rejoicing in Him alone.
David begins the Psalm, “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing,’” (Psalm 16:2). The words on our lips are important - Jesus reminds us in Matthew 12:34, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” How do we speak and how does that reveal our intentions, our desires, our idols? We need to preach and proclaim this to ourselves without ceasing: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
David continues, “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” (v. 5-6). God is our Provider and Protector - security and satisfaction come only from Him. He has provided everything that I need for right now. He has not accidentally given what was supposed to be mine to someone else.
What is our perspective as we look at our lives? Do we believe that the boundaries that God has put around us are “pleasant”? We are all limited in a variety of ways - we have been gifted specific strengths and weaknesses, finite capacities, bounded resources. Will we choose to live within our limits? With joy?
Finally, David declares, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (v. 11). God wants to bless us - eternally, abundantly, joyfully. He does not keep good from us - He preserves good for us. He is not a God who withholds but One who satisfies fully and completely. Will we trust Him to do so?
May we declare it with our lives and our lips alongside David: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
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