Victorious

Psalm 16:1  Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. 2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You." 3 As for the saints who are 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 inheritance 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 seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

David says, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.”

Preservation is a key to “life.” Where would we be without the refrigerator, or the freezer?

One of the greatest conveniences and blessings of modern life has been the development of various ‘preservation’ devices. Also notable are the numbers of foods now available at the grocery store which take advantage of modern scientific methods to ensure freshness for longer periods of time without refrigeration, even in the case of foods we would have previously thought impossible to preserve longer than a day or so.

David knew that preservation equals victory, especially when the Lord is the One doing the preserving.

This was Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. We have a prophetic record here in Psalm 16. Jesus’ victory would come through preservation. For all that Jesus was about to face on the next day of His life, He knew from God’s Word that He would not see corruption. God would not allow it. He would be preserved. The corruption of death would be defeated.

The resurrection of Christ is the greatest single event in human history. We look back on this historical event in the same way David looked forward to it, and Jesus trusted in it. Jesus’ example was to trust God’s Word, and to lay down His life for God’s purpose. He knew He could lay down His life, because He knew He had the power to take it up again. And that is glorious victory we all can share for the taking of it, for the proclaiming of it.

Does anyone ever remember who finished second?

-  Pastor Bill