How to Stay True to Your Decisions for God

(Psalm 16:7-11)

The passage before us is a prophetic Psalm that is dealing with the Lord Jesus Christ. In this lesson we will make some spiritual application for staying true to your decisions for God. Many times when God deals with our hearts through preaching at camp, special meetings, or any regular service we respond with a decision. Then afterwards sometimes there is a great struggle to stay true to the decision that was made for the Lord. We are not talking about getting saved or trying to keep ourselves saved we are talking about things like surrendering yourself to the Lord, giving up certain sins, or taking on a new task that God would have you to do.

How can we make the right decisions?

In verse 7 David says that his counsel came from the Lord. The first step in making the right decision is to get the right counsel. You cannot go wrong with getting counsel from the word of God (Psalm 119:160).

There is a lot of the wrong counsel out there for us to get (Proverbs 12:5). Remember that we should not get counsel from just our friends because they might tell you just what you want to hear. We should get counsel from spiritual people who will counsel you from the word of God.

Last of all remember there are many devices in your heart but it is the counsel of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). The heart will lead you one way one time and a different way another time, but God’s counsel will stand.

Why are the right decisions so important?

In verse 7 David also says that his reins instruct him in the night seasons. In Jeremiah 17:9-10 the word of God says that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. But it also says that God tries the reins. The reins speak of control, just like horse is controlled and directed by reins.

If we make the right decision based on the word of God then when the hard times come it will be easier for them to instruct us in the right path. Note David used the term night seasons. This is a type of hard times.

Note also the reins are said to instruct. The important things about the right decisions are that they do not only affect us today but tomorrow and the next day also. Therefore they are said to instruct us through life.

How can we stay true to the right decisions we have made?

In verse 8 David says that he has set the Lord before him always. That is the same thing that we must do, set the Lord before us always. If we put the Lord before us in everything that we do and keep him there it will be much easier to stay true to the decisions that we have made. (Hebrews 12:1-4)

The Blessings for staying true to the right decisions?

In verses 9-11 there are many blessing given for staying true to your decisions. These are listed as follows:

Gladness (verse 9)

Hope (verse 9)

Life (verse 11)

Joy (verse 11)

Pleasures for evermore (verse 11)

These are the very things that everyone is seeking for in life, the problem is they are just seeking for them in the wrong places.

How to Stay True to Your Decisions for God : Handout

(Psalm 16:7-11)

1)  How can we make the right decisions in the first place?

2)  Why are the right decisions so important?

3)  Why is the word “reins” so important in this passage?

4)  How can we stay true to the decisions that we make for God?

5)  What are the blessings that we see from the passage for staying true to your decisions for God?