"I Have No Good Apart From You"

     Last night I was reading through Psalm 16.  I think this one is becoming a favorite.  I love the verses, and as I read God brings to mind other verses.  It's really cool how there is SO much life in each individual verse in Scripture and yet it all fits together like one big puzzle!

Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;    I have no good apart from You.”  Psalm 16:1-2  ESV

     I can go to so many other things to try and take refuge from the storms of life.  But only God is a true refuge in times of trouble.  Praying verse one really helps me to remember to go only to Him.  There are so many other verses in Psalms that correspond with this one.  Psalm 27:1 and 118:6 are favorites (you should take a minute to grab your Bible and read them, even though you're probably familiar with them).  I also like meditating through Psalm 18.
     "LORD" when in all caps in the English Bible means "YHWH," often pronounced, "Yahweh."  The proper translation is "He is" (third person).  I love it whenever I read this because "He is" holds so much meaning.  You could say, "He is . . . what?  He is love?  He is forgiving?  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever?  He is forever-present?"  Well, yes . . . but He is so much MORE than that!  He . . . is.  He just is.  He is more than my words will ever say.  ♥
     Last of all, "I have no good apart from You" is a really strong statement.  Often my Christian life doesn't reflect this.  There are things in this world I can feel like I can't live without.  But the truth is that apart from Christ I have nothing good!  This also acknowledges that I cannot bring myself good.  I do not . . . cannot bring good bring good to anyone, including myself.  I am not good.  There is nothing good in me.  This brings to mind a passage from John 15:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15:4-5

     Perhaps the God's spiritual giants never become less weak or less dependent on God.  Perhaps spiritual giants are those who are most aware of their own weakness and dependency on God.  For God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).