“I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.” (Psalms 16: 8-9 NKJV)
This chapter is a very interesting chapter. Psalms 16 was written by King David who lived before Christ and who lived under the old covenant, and yet he speaks in this chapter as though he lived after the resurrection. David understood what Christ was going to do, how that would change God’s covenant, and what that meant for eternity. All of Psalms 16 is worthy of reading for that simple fact, but I felt compelled to share this particular verse.
What makes verse 8 noteworthy is that David reminds us that if we set the Lord before us; if we focus all of our energy and sight on God; if we place him always at our right hand to help guide us and council us, then we can not be moved. Paul the Apostle put this into action his whole life, and by keeping the Lord before him he could say, “But none of these things move me (speaking here of imprisonment and death); nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 NKJV)
David finishes up this statement by reminding us that if we are always placing the Lord before us and heeding his council, then our hearts will be glad knowing that we are serving the purpose or ministry to which God has called us. We can rejoice in the Lord and be glad.
The final words of verse 9 are powerful words cloaked in ambiguity. “My flesh also will rest in hope.” Those words don’t seem to convey much until you delve into them a little deeper. When the bible speaks of believers flesh resting such as it does in 1 Corinthians 15: 50-53 it is talking about the death of the mortal body, but the bible calls it sleep when referencing believers because it is not the end for us. No, our mortal body shall be transformed upon the glorious return of Christ and our transformed body that has been resting in the grave shall be reunited with our spirit and we will once again live surrounded by the glory of Christ. It is the hope to which David speaks. The hope that we as Christians have that Christ is true to his word and that we will live for eternity in his presence, knowing no more pain, suffering, evil, or loss. Our flesh (mortal body) will rest (sleep in the grave) in hope (of the resurrection and reuniting of our flesh and spirit in a transformed body so that we may live out eternity in the presence of our Lord and Saviour). Now those are indeed powerful words. They are a constant reminder of the eternal hope we have.
It is my sincerest hope that these words will be burned deep into your heart, that you may recall them in times of need. They are a small sermon in and of themselves reminding us to always place the Lord before us so that we can know the promise of the believer that our bodies will rest but for a little while before we are reunited with our spirit to live eternity in the presence of God, worshipping him in all his glory. Have a great day and God bless!