Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study of Psalm 16 (May 1, 2025)

May 1, 2025:  Thursday Bible Study on Psalm 16

Good morning, dear friends in Christ,

Prayers today please for Annette who is having her second knee replacement this afternoon at about 3PM. She fully recovered from the first replacement several months ago. Pray too for Teri as she waits for her news to come through about this new hip replacement surgery. Her words on Sunday are that at least she has not received any “no's” from anyone. Give thanks to God for this current state as Teri awaits this new procedure. I had blood work yesterday to assess my prostate cancer and any possible growth that may happen after two years from my surgery. I am meeting with my specialist on Tuesday of next week. Like David in our Psalm today, I have placed my trust in the LORD! I am in the parish long after most pastors retire, and I am still loving the opportunity to share the Gospel, my music, and my Spirit leadership in our congregation. I am as challenged by the Truth of the Gospel, as I am sure you are also. I will never be good enough to deserve the gifts that are already mine through Christ. I really try to allow my ego, my self-control, my life itself to not take me away from the powerful love of Christ for me, and for the proclaiming of the Gospel to which Christ has called me. Pastors have the same sinner/saint struggle going on in their lives, just like everyone else. But in all of that I trust my Lord and Savior to hold me in His Care throughout this life and on into the next!

Let's take a look at David's Psalm 16 which we might choose to title "The Secret of Life", and aren't we all looking for it all of the time? In Christ, life is already ours in abundance. Unlike the understanding of the Old Testament, where those whose lives have ended will to a quiet place of shadows where it is probably a bit boring. That place is sheol.  Of course for you and me, the promise of eternal life takes care of that age old issues of living a life full of meaning and success, because you and I know that, through Jesus Christ, when our lives end we are transitioning to eternal life with our Father in Heaven, surrounded by Christ's Grace, and guarded by the Holy Spirit.  This is our reality today because the promise of these wonderful gifts is already ours, in this life, and in the next. But for David it was really important to place his faith in God's great love for him, stating his own faith, and letting God know that He is trusted to remain with David so that David's life will be long and always blessed. Very often you and I give thanks to God in the morning for the refreshment of the night's sleep, and the beauty of the new day which is filled with God's possibilities for life. This is exactly what David is doing at the end of this Psalm. I must say that being the pastor of American Lutheran has certainly been an amazing blessing of God for my life, and for my family's life. We have received endless encouragement over these 34 years, blessings upon blessings, and in our joys and struggles being surrounded by the power of faithful prayers. Who could ever realistically ask for anything more? David always hoped for peace and abundance for himself, and for his people, for long prosperous lives, and for the Grace of God to surround him every day. I hope that you know that your prayers are truly the modern-day Psalms of the faithful who look to God for all things in this life, and in the next. In our world today, we must remember that we are the ones of Christ who define what abundant life is all about, loving kindness, compassion, consolation, generosity in other's lives, acts of grace throughout the day. The definition for what is the abundant life does not come from those who are filled with greed for money and power. Like David, it is you and I who will keep our eye constantly on the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for in their uniqueness and singular unity, they too, will be keeping their eye on each and every one of us, guarding our bodies and souls for the Resurrection which Christ has gained for us on the cross.

Happy Easter once again my dear sisters and brothers in Christ!

In His Love, Pastor Kim