Psalms 16:11
“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Our journey to the heart of God is a life-long journey of
discovering the greatness of the God whom we serve. It is not a journey of
works but a journey of faith and obedience that constantly yields new doors of
blessing and fulfillment. The journey of works is a hard road to walk, filled
with hills and valleys of success and failure. When we are successful, we feel
great; when we are doing poorly, we feel discouraged, frustrated, angry or
depressed. We measure the progress of
our journey by comparing ourselves to others and where they are on their
journey.
The journey to the heart of God is a life-long journey of
discovering who God is in all of His love, greatness, and power. It is an
ongoing revelation of His awesome character and nature. This journey is not
void of works, but these works are an outgrowth of relationship and not a proof
of value or source of identity and affirmation. Our fulfillment and contentment
is solely found in our ongoing relationship with the Father through the Spirit.
Look at the focus of the Psalmist. It is totally on God. “You will show me that path of life.”
The path of life cannot be found in a do-it-yourself manual of ten easy steps
to success. The path of life is found from beginning to end in a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ that is cultivated on a daily basis in every
aspect of life. The path of life is a discovery of Jesus in our marriage,
family, and job. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) The path of life is
found in Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist continues, “In Your presence is
fullness of joy.” When you are in love with someone, it impacts every area of
your life. It puts joy in your heart, a spring in your step, and a smile on
your face. It has nothing to do with performance but radically improves your
performance. It changes your perspective on everything. You respond to people
and circumstances with optimism and joy. It is contagious! When you are in love
with God, you will have a growing awareness of His presence and incorporate Him
in every decision, everything you say and do. He becomes the center of your
life.
The Psalmist concludes by saying, “At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It is only in His presence that we have
access to His right hand, which is filled with blessings and pleasure
forevermore. However, blessing and pleasure is not the source of joy. His
presence is our source of joy. Pleasures and blessings are simply an outgrowth
of our relationship. When we truly get to know Him, the greatest pleasure is
spending time with Him. Enjoy your journey with God.
Andy Clark
No comments:
Post a Comment