Verse Seven: Psalms 16:9

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. (KJV)

(verse 7 of the 44 H1523)

There are a couple of verse things I want to draw your attention to first. The key to why David is rejoicing in this verse is found in the previous verse, verse 8, "I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved." The NIV version of verse 9 phrases things a little differently, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure."

So, David is saying his heart is glad, he is verbally positive and his body isn't tense, he is able to rest, because he has "set the Lord always before me." This all sounds great, in fact, to me this sounds like the key to some good ol' rest and relaxation and in these stress-filled days, who doesn't want that? But what does setting "the Lord always before me" mean?

The researcher in me looked at verse 8 in the King James on Blue Letter Bible because that's the version that they have Strong's reference points attached to. First, I looked at the one attached to "set", H7737.

1. The original Hebrew word is shavah
2. It means, "to agree with, be or become like, level, resemble"  

The next word that has a Strong's reference attached to it that I felt gave some deeper understanding was the word "moved" H4131.

1. The original Hebrew word is mowt
2.  It means, "to totter, shake, slip"

Taking these extensions of the definitions into account, the verse says something less enigmatic.
Again, verse 8,

"I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

Let's try adding what we have learned from Strong's to verse 8, "I have (agreed with, become like, leveled, resembled) the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not (totter, shake, slip)." It's still a little odd sounding, but I think we can safely say this as an interpretation: When I am coming into agreement with God, endeavoring to become like Him, always, and making Him my partner in life (right hand man), I am immovable, nothing shakes me up. This is what brings our bodies peace, our hearts gladness and spills into our relationships with encouraging words and joyful proclamation.