Recently, I was gifted a vacation to a place I have wanted to go for quite sometime; Washington D.C. I was able to view the US Capitol, Washington Monument, White House and other monuments and museums in person. These towering statues, intriguing displays and beautiful buildings and the history that came along with them all brought me great joy. I can honestly say I have never did as much walking in one day as I did in D.C. I kept going and going knowing that if I were at home, it would take me a month to make the 14,000 steps I made in one day. 14,000 steps!
Then my 5 days were up, and I had to return home, work, real life and the excitement that I had quickly vanished. All too often, we believe that joy is found in the things we do, wear, watch etc.
The truth about Joy can be found in Psalms 16.
Acknowledge That Things Can Not Bring Lasting Happiness.
Verses 1-2 “Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
Imagine King David, with his gold, wives, food, palaces and army. The esteemed King of Israel valuing his relationship in God to be more worthwhile that all possessions.
Things Can Seek To Take Our Eyes Off of God, The True Joy
Verse 4 “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.”
In today’s world, our god’s includes the latest cellphones, expensive tennis, long luxurious lashes, fancy cars etc. Sadly, the more energy we give to such things, the more we lack and therefore the harder we struggle to get them because we are never satisfied.
True Joy Is Found In Christ
Verses 9-11 “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
David gives praise to God and describes the security, wisdom and joy found in God. These things can not be taken away by life.
Joy that is derived outside of Christ is fleeting. No wonder David was considered “A man after God’s heart,” he knew this all too well. Psalms 16, though thousands of years old, has great parallels to our lives today. It is my hope that we all follow David’s lead and bask in the True Joy.