2026 Easter Devotions
Wednesday, April 8
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble ones
in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord, who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
“… 4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; …”
Like most parents, I encouraged my children to make good choices in life. I reminded them not all choices are going to be easy. In fact, sometimes choosing what seems easiest is tempting but leads to sorrow while the more difficult directions are often most rewarding. Like most parents, those were my words of advice. And, like most children, they sometimes made poor choices – much like I did at their age.
The psalmist reminds us that when we choose against God, the results are often sorrowful. It’s not that God makes bad things happen because we chose poorly. Rather, without the Lord on our side, the difficulties we face and the pain we experience are multiplied. The presence of the Lord brings comfort even when things aren’t going in our direction.
That is the gist of the psalmist’s message. When we follow the ways of the Lord, hold fast to the Lord’s teachings, and seek the Lord in all that we do and say, comfort and consolation are right around the corner. Choosing the Lord doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen. Rather, in the midst the difficulties we face, God’s presence, peace, and hope can prevail. We may struggle and stumble, but God is with us to raise us up and carry us through.
Like a good parent, through the psalmist, the Lord is reminding us to always choose the ways of the Lord.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for showing us the way. Lead me according to Your will and guide me with Your Spirit that I may always choose to follow You. Amen.