Read Psalm 16:5-11
Many years ago, as a newborn Christian living on my own in an apartment in Shorewood, I encountered my first angelic choir. It was in the middle of the night…I awoke to the sound of singing. Often times, waking in the dark can be unsettling—but not that night. It was a different kind of sound. A heart cry (in a ‘good cry’ kind of way). My soul was being ministered to by heavenly voices. The depth from where those voices came was Holy Other. The peace that accompanied it. The comfort. The intimacy of it being just for me. “I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me” (v. 7).
Fast forward 28 years. As a wife and mother, now my middle-of-the-night, wide-awake moments are more about worry or concern for my family. Although I have not heard the angelic choir as clearly as I did years ago, I lean into the intimacy of the night as I cry out to God in prayer for those I love. Psalm 16 has been ‘my’ psalm for many years. I’ve memorized it, praying it as life experiences find me running for safety to the Lord. “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing‘” (vs. 1-2).
As vs. 5 states, “The Lord assigns me my ‘portion and my cup,” a metaphor referring to what the host offers his guests to drink. To the godly, the Lord offers a cup of blessings or salvation. The Lord has given me blessing upon blessing, even in the darkness of the night. Praise Him!
For Personal Reflection: Take time now to remember and rejoice in all the blessings God has brought into your life.
by Ann Erickson
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