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Our Delightful Inheritance

Scripture Focus: Psalm 16.5-6
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
     you make my lot secure.
 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
     surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Reflection: Our Delightful Inheritance
By Erin Newton

The rising cost of housing is not news to us anymore. Headlines recently have read, “Gen Z Can’t Afford the Rent,” and “Realtor Explains Why Millennials Struggle to Buy Homes.” Where former generations bought homes and land with relative ease, younger generations are seeing it as an impossibility.

Land has served as a means for gaining security and wealth throughout millennia. In the Old Testament, key figures are marked by their possessions and their land. Abraham is promised land as an inheritance for his descendants. The vast number of livestock owned by Job hints at a large land ownership necessary to care for the herds. Land meant security and prosperity. Land was desirable.

Stories about the twelve tribes settling into the Promised Land contain details about the divisions and make little impact on us today. But the absence of land given to the Levites is noticeable. How did the Levites feel about their lack of inheritance?

Psalm 16 is a confession of faith by someone who is devoted to the Lord. The psalmist relies on priestly language speaking of the “holy people” of the land and the dangers of idolatry. The psalmist rejects the idea of pouring out “libations of blood” to a false god. It could be that the perspective is that of a priest, a Levite.

[It’s important to understand that inscriptions reading, “of David,” can mean more than authorship. Some of these psalms are attributed to David, written in the style of David, or about David.]

If the psalmist is truly a Levite, he is landless. This expression of joy uses the language of physical blessings but the content of each blessing is God.

God is his portion. His lot is secure. His boundary lines fall in pleasant places. He has a delightful inheritance. Rolf Jacobsen rightly identifies the source of hope, “The relationship that the psalmist has with God is the psalmist’s all—the portion, cup, lot, boundary, and inheritance.”

With headlines that remind us of all that we lack, do we see God as our all? With a savings account that doesn’t seem to go anywhere but down, do we see the pleasant lines of our inheritance?

A health and wealth gospel will try to convince us that we need something more than God to be content. Do not pour out offerings to the gods of this world. Eternal pleasures are at his right hand alone.  

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
The Lord is near to those who call upon him, to all who call upon him faithfully. — Psalm 145.19

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 23 (Listen 5:38)
Psalms 15-16 (Listen 2:03)

Read more about Inheritance of Rachel’s Daughters
Inheritances are promised and given, not earned or attained. They can’t be purchased or procured.

Inheritance of Rachel’s Daughters — Readers’ Choice

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What does the Bible mean? Find out. Join our Bible reading plan and find meaning at a sustainable, two-year pace.

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Our Deliverer — Guided Prayer

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 22.18-19
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, 
from my foes, who were too strong for me. 
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, 
but the Lord was my support. 

Reflection: Our Deliverer — Guided Prayer
By John Tillman

Delivered from death at the hands of a giant, David credited not Abishai, the warrior who came to his rescue, but God himself. 

We can, in the day of our disaster, rely on God. Our success depends on God, not our own strength or the intervention of an ally.

David’s song of deliverance is also included in scripture as Psalm 18. Let us join in a prayer inspired by this song. Let us thank God for the Abishais whom he sends into our lives and for his strength that saves us.

Our Deliverer:
We live among the violent.
And you bid us live in peace.
We live among our enemies
And you bid us love them.

Deliver us, Lord.
Be our rock and our refuge.
Be our stronghold and savior.

We live in distress
Like a bird in a snare
Like a leaf in a whirlpool
Like a seed in a sandstorm

Our hearts beat like desperate wings
Our courage sinks, soaks, and spirals down
Carried by chaos, our hopes are rootless

Part the heavens and stride the Earth, Lord.
Come to our rescue in steps that shake the ground.
Stretch out your hand and snap the snare in two
Draw your drowning, doubting disciples from the seas of foam
Hush the haboob’s swirling sand with a word and settle us in good soil, sipping streams of living water.

Our foes are stronger than we are.
Our sins are stronger than we are.
They confront us, but you support us.
They drag us down, but you lift us up.

Who is like the Lord who strengthens the weak?
Who is like the Lord who humbles the strong?
Who is like our God who enobles the shamed?
Who is like our God who shames the proud?

Let us bloom faithfully for the one who is faithful to us.
Make us blameless and pure through the work of your blameless one.
Set us free to run in the path of your commands
We run upon the heights like deer
We soar on your wings 

Through our praise, our deliverer calls to all the Earth, “Come to me and be delivered. Come to me and be free.”

Music: “My Deliverer” — Rich Mullins

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let those who love your salvation say forever, “Great is the Lord!” — Psalm 70.4


– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 22 (Listen 5:22)
Psalms 13-14 (Listen 1:43)

Read more about David’s First and Last Giants
Regardless of our age or experience, giants don’t go down easily…Who do you call when giants threaten? Who might God use to save you when you are weakened?

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/davids-first-and-last-giants

Read more about What David Longed For
In so many ways, what David longed for after death, we have access to now. We have many advantages over David.

What David Longed For
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David’s First and Last Giants

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 21.15-22
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.” 

18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha. 

19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod. 

20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him. 

22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

“It’s more the size of who you put your faith in, than the size of your foe…” — Rich Mullins, “What Trouble are Giants”

Reflection: David’s First and Last Giants
By John Tillman

In David’s first battle, he felled a giant. In his last, he fell before one. Both times, he praised God. 

David grew weary in the battle. Don’t we all?

The word translated “exhausted” in the NIV has a range of meanings from simple tiredness to a complete loss of consciousness. Whether David’s sword arm was simply tired, or whether he was struck unconscious by a blow, or whether age or ill health caused him to faint, a battle is a bad place to be vulnerable. 

David was famous for killing Goliath but Goliath was not the only giant in the land. Ishbi-Benob had a spear tip about half the weight of Goliath’s and threatened to kill the giant-killer, David.

David was saved, and the giant killed, by Abishai, one of Israel’s mightiest warriors. David’s men were shocked at the close call and forbade him from going out to battle again. In future battles, even more giants fell, including Goliath’s brother. (2 Samuel 21.19)

In the battles we face, it may seem we are surrounded by giants. How should we deal with the challenges that face us?

Don’t fight giants tired. Don’t fight giants in your own strength. Don’t fight giants alone. 

Like David, weariness may come at dangerous times. We can’t choose the timing of every battle but we should be realistic about our strengths and our weaknesses and be as prepared as possible. How are you resting for the next battle? How are you renewing your strength in Christ? What precautions are you taking for your weaknesses?

Don’t fight giants alone or in your own strength. Regardless of our age or experience, giants don’t go down easily. Even in “single combat” against Goliath, David wasn’t alone. Without God, Goliath would have certainly won and without Abishai, Ishbi-Benob would have. David gave God credit for both victories. (2 Samuel 22.1-3)

Whether through a well-thrown stone or a well-placed ally, it is God who saves us from giants. Who do you call when giants threaten? Who near you might God use to save you when you are weakened?

Many aspire to be like David in his youth, facing a giant alone, winning against unwinnable odds. But there is also honor and wisdom in age, experience, and leadership. A hero may kill a giant but a leader trains giant killers.

Are you raising up those with faith to stand against foes of any size?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your Name give glory; because of your love and because of your faithfulness. — Psalm 115.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 21 (Listen 4:34) 
Psalms 11-12 (Listen 1:59) 

Read more about The King We Want
I’ve sent a king, God says
Unlike any you’ve seen
Son of the Giant Killer
Yet rejected as your ruler

The King We Want

Read more about Supporting Our Work
Please consider becoming a donor. Our work is not free to produce but generous donors, like you, make it free to read for believers across the world.

Supporting our Work
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No DARVO

Scripture Focus: Psalm 7.3
3 Lord my God, if I have done this 
and there is guilt on my hands— 
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil 
or without cause have robbed my foe— 
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; 
let him trample my life to the ground 
and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger; 
rise up against the rage of my enemies. 
Awake, my God; decree justice. 
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you, 
while you sit enthroned over them on high. 
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples. 
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, 
according to my integrity, O Most High. 
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked 
and make the righteous secure— 
you, the righteous God 
who probes minds and hearts. 
10 My shield is God Most High, 
who saves the upright in heart. 
11 God is a righteous judge, 
a God who displays his wrath every day. 
12 If he does not relent, 
he will sharpen his sword; 
he will bend and string his bow. 

Reflection: No DARVO
By John Tillman

David, falsely accused, tells God to let his enemies kill him if their accusations are true.

False accusations do occur, like the ones David denied in this psalm, but accused leaders often use techniques described by the acronym DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.

First, despite evidence or testimony, they deny allegations and repeat claims of innocence. Alternatively, they replace “deny” with “double down, ” claiming what they did was not wrong or was within their rights.

Next, they attack the character, motives, or mental health of accusers. Lastly, they claim victimhood and persecution, promoting themselves as heroic sufferers or fighters.

DARVO is not new. It is just a new description of how the powerful twist justice and public opinion to benefit them. King Ahab had his version of it when he called Elijah the “troubler” of Israel. (1 Kings 18.27) Saul, whose persecution of David is the likely subject of this psalm, used it against David.

How can we live in a world dominated by Sauls and Ahabs, the disciples of DARVO? How can we know what the truth is and who is telling it?

First, be wary of the tactic. Those aware of DARVO tactics are less likely to be fooled by them. Simple denial isn’t DARVO. Truly false allegations should be denied. But when attacks and pleas of martyrdom occur, we should beware and call it out. It’s a red flag indicating bad intent.

Second, rely on God’s justice AND seek earthly justice. We often focus on God’s destruction of evil at the end of time, but when David rejoiced at the sharpening of God’s sword, the bending of his bow, and his shield’s protection, he was thinking of his “now,” not his “not yet.” Like David in this psalm, victims entreat God, and us, for earthly justice. And God would have us deliver it.

Especially if we like or support leaders, we shouldn’t let them get away with DARVO. Seeking truth does not mean seeking evidence to support specific claims of innocence or of guilt. We must seek truth and justice, whether it acquits an enemy or convicts a friend.

Whether justice cuts down a pastor, a politician, a movie mogul, or a media star, we should rejoice that victims’ voices were answered by God. We should say, paraphrasing David, “If they have done this, let their enemies overtake them.” May justice be done, and that right soon.

Music: “Better tell that long-tongued liar…
Tell ‘em that God’s gonna cut ‘em down.” 
— Johnny Cash (God’s Gonna Cut You Down — Video)


Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
What terror you inspire! Who can stand before you when you are angry? — Psalm 76.7


– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 18 (Listen 6:16)
Psalms 7-8 (Listen 2:58)

This Weekend’s Readings
2 Samuel 19 (Listen 7:31), Psalms 9 (Listen 2:21)
2 Samuel 20 (Listen 4:51), Psalms 10 (Listen 2:13)

Read more about Hope for Mercy
Because we are tethered to this world, our sins can bring earthly consequences.

Hope for Mercy

Read more about Weeping For Rebels
David was never more like Jesus than when he wished he had died on a tree rather than his beloved son.

Weeping For Rebels
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Temple Admission

Scripture Focus: Psalm 5.7
7 But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
    toward your holy temple.

Reflection: Temple Admission
By Erin Newton

Throughout Psalms, the poet focuses on the differences between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked are arrogant, bloodthirsty, and deceitful. The righteous are humble, peaceable, and honest. The wicked are barred from the presence of the Lord. The righteous enter the temple with ease.

What is the cost of admission into the temple? Sin bars the wicked from entering. The righteous—well, the righteous are not perfect either. How is one rejected and the other accepted?

Our English translation of Psalm 5.7 adequately reflects the important word order of the Hebrew text. The verse begins with the important conjunction that signals a shift in focus— “but.” The characteristics of the wicked will now stand in contrast. But not to the psalmist!

The Hebrew reads, “But I, by your great love, I come into your house…” (The NIV translates the Hebrew nearly verbatim here.)

It is not “by the great works of the righteous” or “by the pious offerings of the righteous” or “by the comparatively less horrible deeds by this guy.” It is by God’s love. The wicked are not contrasted to the righteous in this case. The wicked stand against the plumbline of God’s character, specifically, his love.

The price of admission to God’s presence is his love. The sin that bars the wicked from entering is also present within the righteous. Neither enter by their merit.

Despite our anchored belief that salvation is by faith alone, we sometimes believe that we deserve to be accepted because we are not as bad as someone else. Opening the door to God’s presence means a series of locks with keys of righteous deeds that only need to be performed. Voila! We purchased our own tickets to heaven. (Or so we delude ourselves.)

We change the word order of the verse in our hearts. “But I can come into your house…” with a haphazard inclusion, “by your great love,” just to cover our religious bases.

When we read the psalms, we identify with the righteous sufferer. We are never the wicked; we are always the accepted. In many cases, this may be true. The psalms were preserved for the benefit of a community that struggled in faith and rejoiced in God’s victories.

But in our reading, among all the “me” and “my” statements, the valiant character is always God. It is our trust in his love that grants us entrance. 


Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord. — Psalm 118.26


– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


Today’s Readings
2 Samuel 17 (Listen 5:00)
Psalms 5-6 (Listen 2:45)

Read more about A Worn Out Welcome
When we go into the house of the Lord, is God glad we have come?

A Worn Out Welcome

Read more about Maintaining Sacred Space
Through spiritual disciplines and practices, we maintain and carry with us sacred space.

Maintaining Sacred Space