Psalm 16: A Meditation for Mother's Day

All emphases in the following psalm are my addition, as are, of course, the comments that follow each line of the psalm:

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. Lord, you equip me for the work you have for me to do in the world. But you are also my shelter. You are my comfort when even a place as safe as church is a painful place to be on Mother’s Day.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing. You have placed me at the center of your will, Father. You have chosen not to give me children now. I can conclude that, despite my desires, I lack nothing. 

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. I love to see you at work in your people around me. To see parents raising their children to love and be like Jesus is beautiful. In addition, Father, I am so thankful for the ways in which you use your people to bring me comfort and encouragement.

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. My life is full of joys clamoring to be made gods in my heart. Motherhood is no exception. I can know for sure that to make motherhood a god will bring me sorrow. Lord, please give me strength to not allow motherhood to take a place that it should not.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. Lord, you have carefully allocated joys and sorrows in my life to draw me to you and make me like you. In this, you comfort me.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I know that the sacrifice that Jesus made should be enough for me, Lord, but sometimes it’s obvious that my perspective just isn’t big enough yet, and I feel discontented. But aside from this gift of your son, you have given me a delightful inheritance. On this Mother’s Day I am reminded of my own mother and my mother-in-law, both godly women who love me dearly. And there’s so much more. You have given me so much.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. You help me, bit by bit, to see that you have a plan for the world and that I fit in it. In your wisdom, you are carrying out your beautiful plans for the world, and yet you don’t neglect my own tiny insignificant heart. Even in my darkest moments, you whisper words of comfort and encouragement to me.

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. I may have to do this a million times a day. My head always wants to turn to look elsewhere. But when I do set you before me, I am strong.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, When I look at you, Lord, I am glad, joyful even. I see your love. I see a bigger picture. I see you at work. Even as my body remains empty—frustratingly, painfully barren—I lay myself down and rest secure at your feet.

because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Jesus was raised to life after three days in a tomb, and through Jesus you have revealed the path to eternal life! You have promised to fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures. I can’t imagine it now, but I know that it’s true: if I were to never be able to give birth to or adopt a child, you will that void when I see you face to face. Your love, Lord, is breath-taking.