Psalm 16:1
“Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
KJV
Read in Psalm 16Meaning
The plea “Preserve me” makes refuge in God the starting point: dependence, not self-protection, grounds the psalmist’s confidence.
Refuge, exclusive loyalty, and the community of the faithful
Verses 1–4 move from a plea for preservation and refuge to confession of loyalty to the LORD, delight in the holy ones, and rejection of rival worship without authorizing coercion against other people.
Read carefully
The plea “Preserve me” makes refuge in God the starting point: dependence, not self-protection, grounds the psalmist’s confidence. Keep the verse inside its literary unit.
Reflection
Let this verse deepen refuge and loyalty to God without turning poetic confidence into a guarantee of comfort, superiority, or immunity from suffering.