“I have no good besides You”
[Psalms 16]
What do you think is the life of faith? As time goes by, I think the life of faith is confessing the words of Psalm 73:25 and 28: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. … But as for me, the nearness of God is my good ….” Indeed, the nearness of God, God who is the source of blessing, is a truly blessed life. All blessings flow from Him. The blessings of forgiving our sins, of refreshing and the restoration of all things are also from Jesus (Acts 3:17-26). Lord, the source of this blessing, the confession from the heart and lips of a believer who enjoys it in the wisdom to count his blessings is Psalms 16:2 – “… I have no good beside You.”
In Psalms 16, I would like to think about five blessings that the psalmist David enjoyed:
The first blessing is the protection of the Lord.
Look at Psalms 16:1 – “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.” When David was in dangers, he took refuge in the Lord. There were two dangers: (1) the danger of death (v. 10) and (2) the danger of syncretism (v. 4) (Park). One danger was about his life, the other was about his faith. Like David, we can experience these two kinds of dangers: physical danger and spiritual danger. However, in this danger, David took the opportunity to draw closer to the Lord. The reason is because he knew that the nearness of God was his good (73:28). In Psalms 16:1, when David said “I take refuge”, it refers to his attitude of faith in trusting God without anxiety (Park). He trusted in God completely in the dangers of his spirit and flesh. Therefore, he was protected by the Lord.
The second blessing is the Lord’s support of the portion of his inheritance.
Look at Psalms 16:5 – “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.” God is the Lord who not only is the portion of our inheritance, but also secures it. Although we owns it, it isn’t easy to keep it. But there is nothing to worry about because the Lord will secure our inheritance (Park). God is the Lord who gives us truly pleasant inheritance. David had the boundary lines that the Lord gave him (v. 6). This word refers to God’s giving of inheritance to David in regard to the measured land as an inheritance. Furthermore, God not only gives an inheritance but also He secures it. God, who gives us the promised land, just as He has given Abraham the beautiful land of Canaan, He also protects that inheritance that He has given us so that we may enjoy our blessed lives.
The third blessing is the Lord’s counsel.
Look at Psalms 16:7 – “I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; ….” A truly blessed man receives God’s revelation and lives according it. An example is Apostle Peter. He confessed to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). He was able to confess like this because Father God revealed this to Peter (v. 17). So Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona” (v. 17). In Psalms 16, since David received the pleasant places as his inheritance according to the Lord’s revelation, he blessed the Lord (v. 7). And he confessed like this: “Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night” (v. 7). David liked the Lord’s instructions in the night (Park). It is a truly blessed soul that is taught by the word of the truth written in his heart in the night.
The fourth blessing is that the Lord is at my right hand.
Look at Psalms 16:8 – “… ; Because He is at my right hand ….” The Lord was David’s right hand means when God helped David, He strengthened him most powerfully (Park). David, who was protected by taking refuge in the Lord in the dangerous situation, experienced God’s empowerment. This confession “I love You, O LORD, my strength” (18:1) is inevitable from the heart and lip of the men who has experienced the presence of the Lord, who comes to us and strengthens us most powerfully with His promised word when we are very weak and exhausted in discouragement.
The fifth blessing is that the Lord makes known to us the path of life.
Look at Psalms 16:11 – “You will make known to me the path of life; ….” This was what David said as he was looking at the eternal world (Park). Psalms 16:10 is a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection and is quoted in Acts 2:27-28: “because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” In other words, David believed and hoped for his resurrection by believing in the resurrection of the Messiah. Lord, who showed David the way of eternal life, was David’s blessing and we have no good besides Him (Ps. 16:2).
Then what should be the response of those who have received these blessings from the Lord, who is our blessing? We can think of four things about the life that serve the Lord who is our blessing:
First, we delight.
Look at Psalms 16:3 – “As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” How can they delight in other saints? The reason is because of the saints’ majesty (Park). Here ‘majesty’ means glory or magnificence. It refers to the glory of the inheritance as God’s children in the afterlife (Park). The brilliance of that glory is manifested by the saints living holy according to God's will in this world. When we see such saints, we think ‘Oh! They are sons and daughters of God’ and ‘They are the ones who will be glorified as God children” and admire them (Park). Therefore, the saints should be in delight.
Second, there is hatred toward the idols.
Look at Psalms 16:4 – “The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.” David determined not to pour out his drink offerings of blood to the idols and take up their names on his lips. And he determined not to make any contact with idolaters. How can a saint who lives with the Lord, the true blessing, serve the Lord and an idol, the false blessing, together and live a double life? We who live with the Lord, who is our blessing, should hate idols and those who oppose God.
Third, we have set the Lord continually before us.
Look at Psalms 16:8 – “I have set the LORD continually before me; ….” This is the grace that is given to those who believe in God's Word, pray hard, repent, and obey (Park). We must walk with God and then we won’t be shaken (v. 8). The nearness of God is our blessing. And it is our blessing to have the Lord in our hearts and lives.
Fourth, our hearts are glad.
Look at Psalms 16:9 – “Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.” David confessed that because God was with him, his heart was glad and his glory rejoiced and his flesh also would dwell securely. In particular, in verse 11, we can see that while looking at the Lord who would be with him in heaven forever, David experienced a partial experience of the full joy and eternal joy in heaven through the Holy Spirit. We should be glad and should rejoice because the Lord gave us hope in the eternal kingdom of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the true source of our blessings.
As I meditated Psalms 16, I looked back at my own life. I asked myself “I have no good besides You” (v. 2). Especially considering the five blessings given by the Lord, I have to confess that I am receiving these five blessings in my life. In particular, as I was coming out to church for Wednesday morning prayer meeting, my car tire as torn, so I had to change it. As I did so, it felt the Lord's protection, so I thanked God. Actually my mechanic friend told me that tire was very old, was dangerous to drive lik that and told me to change it. So I was thankful and I change it as he said. But the same tire got torn down on a freeway and nobody got hurt. I believed that this was God’s protection and I cannot but give thanks to Him. The Lord who protects me is my blessing. I don’t want to pursue any other blessing beside my Lord. I want to pursue the best blessing. In doing so, other blessings will become secondary. Therefore, I would like to sincerely confess, “I have no good besides You” like David.
Desiring to confess “I have no good beside You” who is the Lord of Blessing,
James Kim
(In the midst of getting strength in the blessed Word of God)