Psalm 16, 1.2. 5-11

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen

1 Keep me, O God, for I trust in you. 

2 I say to the Lord, you are my Lord; all my happiness is yours alone.

5 Thou, O Lord, givest me my inheritance; thou givest me my cup; thou holdest my lot in thine hand.

6 My portion has fallen to me in a goodly land. Yes, my inheritance pleases me.

7 I praise the Lord who has counselled me. My heart admonishes me in the night.

8 The Lord is always before my eyes. He is at my right hand; I will not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also shall dwell in safety.

10 For thou wilt not abandon me to the grave; thou wilt not let thy faithful see the grave.

11 You show me the way to life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand there is everlasting happiness.

Dear congregation 

This psalm begins with familiar words: ‘Keep me, God, for I trust in you.’

These are words that basically apply every day.

We have all spoken these words! Keep me safe. And we say to each other: stay safe.

These are words that we pray when something lies ahead of us, when we are about to embark on a journey, when school starts.

Often when we set off on a journey - or when we say goodbye.

Then one does not want to be so alone and at the mercy of others. "Keep me safe", or when we no longer accompany someone on their journey, then we want to give them a blessing, a good word, a wish - something that goes with them, that bridges the farewell and keeps us connected.

Keep safe. Be protected.  God be with you.

These are words that David has probably also spoken hundreds or even thousands of times.

And yet they sound different here.

This is about a different kind of farewell.

David has reached the end of his life.

Many psalms of lament by people in need begin in a similar way. People ask to be protected in danger - in hostilities and temptations.

But Psalm 16 is not about such hardships that we experience in life. It is not about overcoming a particular danger. 

Psalm 16 is not a psalm of lament - here we find a different situation: The situation of transition - from this life to a new one.

This psalm takes another look at the whole of life, which now lies before the worshipper at the end like an open book.

It is a review of a long, fulfilled life. It is not a lament, but the realisation that a life is coming to an end.

‘My share fell to me on beautiful land!’ Blessed are those who can say this at the end of their lives. Blessed are those who feel that they have often been in the right place in their lives, in the right country, and who are satisfied with their inheritance, their life's work.

The psalmist gives us an insight into how he came to be so satisfied in the end: ‘I praise the Lord, who has counselled me!’

That is a key sentence.

This brings us to the core of the Jewish and Christian faith. Jewish and Christian people orientate themselves towards their God. They take advice from their God. I find that a very apt translation. Firstly, because it makes it clear that things often don't go well without counselling. Anyone who thinks that they can decide everything on their own and know independently what is good for him or her is mistaken. David can tell you a thing or two about that. It took a while for David not only to do what he wanted, but also accepted to orientate himself towards God.

Consult with God. How does that work? For us people today, the best way is to study the Bible and talk about it. No one can interpret the Bible alone. People have often tried to do this on their own and it turns out that those who think they understand God best and know what God wants, have often been wrong.

Consult with God: This happens in community. 

David is convinced that God's counselling is very targeted: God's counselling is ‘’guidance for life!’ 

How do I stay alive? How do I come back to life?

These are questions that occupy us in life: In illness and burnout. In depressive and sad phases and regarding to major social issues:

Guidance for life

At the end of his life, David realises how he found his way and shares this with us. It's great when people are courageous and tell us how they found strength and made their way through difficult situations.

That is something I hope for you, the new confirmands: that you meet people here in the congregation who encourage you. Encouragement that there is a way - even then when you have the impression you don't know what to do next.

David explains exactly how he came alive again and again: I have the Lord constantly before my eyes. 

This alludes to the fact that pious Jewish people wear tefillin: prayer straps with the most important sentences from the Torah, the Jewish Holy Scriptures.

So as not to lose sight of this wisdom.

We Christians don't wear such things, but there is the familiar habit of starting each day with a Bible scripture. So that we keep God in view. So that we can continue to be counselled by him.

At the end of a long life, David realises: ‘This has helped me a lot. Because he has kept his trust and his joy of life. These are perhaps two of the greatest gifts. Old people who can be as happy as children. Senior citizens who trust and have not become bitter.

So, what David has experienced so often in his life, being protected, having found his way, feeling alive again after difficult times: all this gives him further confidence in the end: Here speaks a man who is at peace with his life and yet asks: What next? What lies ahead for me? The concern contained in these questions is met with the trust he has often found in God. ‘You will not abandon me to the underworld!’ ‘My body will dwell in safety!’ ‘You will show me the path to life!’

What David was deluded about: ‘You don't let the pious see the grave!’

This assumption has been made time and again. We also know from the New Testament the hope that believing people will not die.

We are and remain mortal beings. But there is a big difference in the attitude with which we live and then also die.

It is a gift of faith if we are prepared and learn to accept that we are transient and that one day our time will come to an end. It is a blessing when we rejoice in the fact that things will go on after us.

‘You will not give me up!’ The certainty of remaining protected beyond death is a source of strength.

You show me the path to life!’ No longer a life in this world, but a life in a different form. Psalm 23 also resonates here: ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me!’

The apostle Paul takes up Psalm 16 in his famous Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 and relates these words to the resurrection of Jesus. God has shown the path to life anew.

This is how we Christians can summarise our faith: God shows a path, a way to life. The communion we live with God will remain in death. It is indestructible. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Love remains. Trust remains. 

‘You show me the path to life. 

In your presence there is joy in abundance.’ 

May we all keep this in mind!

Study the Bible and keep on - in the greatest need - looking for ways to life for ourselves, for others and for the world! 

Stay protected: in other words, don't burn out on the search and overtax ourselves, but live happily and trustingly and then leave the world just as satisfied and fulfilled, because one thing continues: ‘God makes known to us the way to life.

This is what we practise every day when we ask, ‘Keep me safe!’ or when we give each other the blessing: ‘Be protected!

There is a good chance that what we practise throughout our lives and gives us stability will also give us confidence on our last journey.

May the peace of God, which is higher than our reason, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen