‘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.’
Psalm 16:5-6
I am good at catastrophising and anticipating the worst-case scenario. If my husband gets home late, I have him killed in a car accident and I am at his funeral. I have lost count of how many times he has died in my imagination. This Psalm provides me with an alternative way of thinking about the things that happen in life. I spent a year reading it every week and it changed me.
The Psalmist, King David, lived much of his life on the edge, fleeing danger. He was steeped in the Scriptures and he knew how to pray. In Psalm 16, he brings the evil that is in our world into sharp focus and prays into that space and asks for help: ‘Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge’.
David has found refuge, a place of rest for his soul. His Lord is his portion and cup. He knows that God has provided him with everything he needs for today and will continue to provide into the future – a future of ‘pleasant places’ and ‘a delightful inheritance’. So, he is secure. He does not need to worry or fret; he is going to be okay.
This Psalm finds fulfilment in great David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus. He would die, but in the words of the Psalm (v 10), he would not be abandoned in the realm of the dead or see decay. Resurrection life was his – yes, a delightful, glorious inheritance.
As those ‘in Christ,’ this is the inheritance that awaits us. When I find myself catastrophising, I turn to this Psalm and find rest in the strong confidence that God is at my right hand (v8) and is with me.
Please help me keep my eyes on you, Lord. I know that with you at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; and my body also will rest secure. Please keep me safe today and tomorrow. Thank you for the delightful inheritance you have given me in Christ. Fill me with joy today as I rest on this truth. Amen.
How do you usually respond to someone who is wrestling with spiritual concerns? We’re likely to listen, pray, offer care, counsel, and comfort from God’s word. But (very) occasionally, this is entirely the wrong approach. That’s because the need for ongoing reassurance may indicate an underlying mental health condition known as scrupulosity – a sub-type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
“I don’t know how to relate. What will I say? I don’t understand them!” Have you thought this about a different generation? This article from Amy Yeung suggests a framework that could help us care well, no matter what generation someone is from.
Pastoral care takes place in many different contexts and capacities. You might offer care to those in your family, your friendship network and your church community. A toolbox of resources can equip you in these various contexts and roles.
Caring is not so much about fixing a need or solving a problem – it’s about showing up and being there as a willing servant of Christ. It lets another know they are seen and valued.
