Where Joy is Found | The Word of the LORD Series | Psalm 16:11

The Word of the LORD for today:

Psalm 16:11 NLT

11 You will show me the Way (Jesus) of Life (also Jesus), granting me the joy of Your Presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

Praise be to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, hallelujah.

I want to focus on the second line, "Part B" of the 11th verse of Psalm 16, "granting me the joy of Your Presence."

In our days, we long to experience joy.

The sense of warmth, freedom, and peace of sitting next to steady and trickling stream with a summer's breeze. I always imagine myself as a young boy next to this stream.

It's like the scene painted by David is Psalm 23:

1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters,

3 He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His Name’s sake.

Notice, God leads us to green pastures.

Notice, God guides you to the trickling, calming stream.

Notice, God is the One who refreshes the soul.

Why?

"For His Name's sake."

He guides you into the peace and refreshment serenity of His presence just because it's who He is.

Similarly in the 11th verse of Psalm 16, we can experience joy in the presence of God.

Where is joy?

In God.

Where is peace?

In God.

Where is calmness?

In God.

Where is refreshment?

In God.

Where is the quiet streams my soul cries for?

In God.

Where can I go to be healed?

In God.

Where can I go to be freed?

In God.

These are not just verses experienced by a select few heroes of the faith. This is a reality made available for YOU in Christ Jesus.

"I have come," proclaimed Jesus, "so they may have life and have life abundantly."

The availability of the goodness of God is available to you because of Jesus.

I'm just telling you what Jesus said but in modern language.

He's the Lord, not me.

Why waste your time with other things, trying to fill the void that only Jesus can fill?

Come to Jesus.

Choose Jesus over scrolling.

Choose Jesus over the news.

Choose Jesus over Netflix.

Choose Jesus over the sports game.

Choose Jesus over the video game.

Choose Jesus over the drugs.

Choose Jesus over the thing you know doesn't actually satisfy you, but you keep going to it.

You are looking for Jesus.

"My yoke is easy and My burden is light... for I am gentle and lowly in heart."

"Any who come to Me," said Jesus, "I will NEVER turn away."

As you seek Him, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit," through Christ Jesus the Lord, amen.