Can you explain Psalms 16:1?
What a wonderful verse to meditate on. Psalm 16:1 says, “Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.” The term, “Michtam of David” is part of the inspired Word, so we do well to consider its meaning. Six times, this term is used in the Psalms. Psalms 16:1, 56:1, 57:1, 58:1, 59:1, and 60:1. It literally means ‘sculpture of David’. The thought is of something that is valuable and would be “an inscription for, or to be engraved on, a pillar.” We get the thought, then, that the psalms that contain this term are to be placed before our eyes so that we might meditate on the message and its importance.
While there is no desperate plea from David for the Lord’s protection in a particular crisis, David is expressing his confidence in the Lord, and thus he looks to Him for his preservation. So should we look to the Lord to preserve us. We should depend on Him to preserve us from harm, from the enemy, from apathy, from growing cold, from anything and everything that would hinder our relationship with Him.
To put your trust on the Lord goes far beyond trusting Him for your salvation. We put our trust in Him for all issues of life that we might encounter. Indeed, if we can trust Christ to save us for eternity, can we not trust Him to guide us in our day? Can we not trust Him to protect us? Can we not trust Him to minister to all our needs? To each of these questions, and many, many more similar questions, the resounding answer is YES. We can put our trust in the Lord for ALL our needs, whatever it is. David would later write in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” While some armies depend on the greatness and power of their armies, David trusted the Lord, remembering who the Lord is and what He had done for David. If our trust is in anything or anyone other than the Lord, we WILL FAIL.
Dear reader, can you say honestly in your heart that you trust in the Lord? Have you trusted Him with your salvation? Do you trust Him on a day by day basis, giving all your daily needs to Him? Do you trust Him to preserve you and the life that He has given you? Can you trust Him to bring you home to Himself as He was promised to do? May we all learn to say as the psalmist did, “in thee do I put my trust.” (231.8)