Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. Psalm 16:9 NKJV
Hope Wins because it lets me rest as I sleep each night and ultimately, creates the confidence that I am secure even in death because I believe in the resurrection.
Context
Psalm 16 was written after David’s brush with death at the hands of Saul and his men. If you remember the stories of the extreme jealousy that Saul felt toward David because of the favor that the people showed after his mighty victories over the enemy. The backdrop of this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel 23 as David his out in the wilderness of Maon and death seemed inevitable as Saul’s forces surrounded him. Just when it seemed that David would be captured a messenger came and shouted to Saul, “Come quickly! A Philistine raiding party is in the land!” Saul and his men were distracted as they went to chase the true enemy. David found joy in exile on the back side of the wilderness. Keep in mind that all of this happened after he had already been anointed as King.
Some view that this Psalm is a Messianic prophecy on the part of David and is used by Peter in Acts 2 as he confirms the resurrection of Jesus. It is considered a golden one because it contains so many references to the holiness of God and the greatness of His presence. David had narrowly escaped death and I can imagine his prayers as he heard Saul’s men coming closer. He looks death in the face and says, “God, I trust You that even if I die that will not be the end for me.”
Finding Glory
The first night after my husband, Bill, moved to Heaven was a tough one. Death is an unwelcome intruder in our lives. I wept softly with a sense of comfort as I went over the events of that morning when I got the call from my daughter, the miracle of the trip to the airport and the ‘hope rays’ behind the dark clouds. I had a sense of ‘joy’ in knowing that Bill was no longer a prisoner in a body had betrayed him. He was lifting his hands to Jesus, running around Heaven on strong legs and praising His Lord in a loud voice. He had finished strong. We had experienced a sense of ‘glory’ and even joy in the middle of it all. We had prayed on a daily basis for his physical healing and now he had experienced the ultimate healing. (For more details, check out my book about it – The Power of Hope in Mourning – Ride the Waves to Comfort – http://bit.ly/HopeInMourning).
The word hope in this verse means a confident expectation regardless of outward circumstances. We can also rest or relax in confidence that God is taking care of the us from birth until our last breath. There is more to life than the time we are here on earth and we can be confident in the following truth in 1 Corinthians 15:57: “Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, who brought us victory over the grave.”
Hope Wins every time.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for the joy that I can experience as I rest in hope regardless of the dangers that surround me. As I trust in You, I feel deep joy and I want to give thanks for Your goodness and mercy toward me. As praises flow from the expression of my confidence for the future I can rest fully. I am so thankful for the example David gives us in trusting You with everything – even our very lives. I pray for those who are facing the loss of a loved one that joy will come in the mourning (morning). Only You can give that deep sense of assurance as you remove the sting of death. I pray for comfort and hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, sign up to receive Karen’s emails.
