“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” -Psalm 16:10
While all the abusers were using the Lord Jesus Christ as their target for bullying, what was Jesus’ target? I need to remember this, and aim the same place myself—for the same result.
Wondrous Psalm
Psalm 16 is a favorite Psalm of mine. What an outcome it describes for those who have the LORD as their “portion and cup,” who “set the LORD always before” them (Psalm 16:5,8,11)!
Psalm 16 is also a Messianic Psalm, proclaiming Christ and His resurrection, as both Peter and Paul affirm in Acts 2:22-28 and Acts 13:33-35.
My Desire
I want to experience the fullness of joy that can only come from being in God’s presence, the eternal pleasures I can only find at His right hand. But I now get mere sips instead of full, satisfying gulps from this cup of blessing—partly because I’m still stuck on fallen Earth, and also (mostly) because my unresurrected self is not nearly so focused on Him and His presence as I’d like to be. I need a steadier aim.
His Aim
Jesus’ aim was perfect, and unwavering. We owe our future hope to that perfection of purpose He maintained. His path led not just to suffering and death, but beyond, to resurrection and ascension—victory over death.
Jesus was not just a martyr, his body still lying in the grave. He is the risen Savior. Without His resurrection (as proclaimed in the two Apostles’ speeches referenced above) His death would give us no hope to aim for (1 Corinthians 15:14). Psalm 16:10 pre-announces his rising from the grave (Sheol), and the Gospels all give eye-witness accounts of it.
This was Christ’s targeted final destination, for Himself and for us: resurrection, then ascension, which Psalm 16:11 pictures with joy. Hebrews 12:2 says “For the joy set before Him, he endured the cross.” And the ultimate aim of His whole earthly life was to please the Father, abiding in Him constantly and serving as the vehicle for Him to work His will on Earth (John 5:19). He looked to the Father in the continual way Psalm 16:8 describes.
My Aim
So let my aim be. My attention can so easily get drawn to earthly endeavors and petty to-do lists. May the LORD be more and more constantly before my face, my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith (Heb 12:2). After all, just as He told His disciples before going to the cross, apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5). And when earthbound life gets rough and suffering becomes inevitable as part of the path Christ leads me on, let me, like Christ, look beyond the grief and pain to the ultimate outcome: a resurrected life to enjoy in His presence forevermore.
Amen Sylvia! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Christianity is based on this and if it weren’t so we wouldn’t be where we are today, in His love and resting in His promise of our one day resurrection. Your posts have really brought my focus back to Christ and opened my eyes to see His FAITHFUL walk to the cross. Would we have been so faithful knowing what was to come?? would we lay down our lives for another?? would we have followed God’s will as Jesus did?? Do we follow God’s will in our own lives when it is not looking so pleasant, trusting the outcome to God??? WOW How Amazing He is!!! I thank Him and I love Him!! NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS! Also, I like your last sentence, may I use it on facebook??
Sure, Bobbi. Just remove the word “And” and capitalize the first word of the sentence (I forgot already what it is! Still half-asleep from birthday-partying this weekend with granddaughter.) 🙂 And include a link to the page it’s on, if you would. Thanks for asking!