Psalm 21:6 - The Eternal Blessings of God and the Exceeding Joy of His Presence.
Psalm 21:6 - The Eternal Blessings of God and the Exceeding Joy
of His Presence.
Psalm 21:6 (NLT) You have endowed him with eternal blessings and
given him the joy of your presence.
David knew what it was like to seek God for rescue, defense,
victory, provision, direction, and more. But he also knew what it was
like to sit or even sleep in God's Presence. He thirsted and panted
and longed for God. He believed someone could taste and see that the
Lord is good. His greatest desire was to live in the Lord's house,
delight in His perfections, and meditate on His Word. David knew that
God - though mighty to save, provide, guide, and heal - is primarily
relational. He is a Being. He calls Himself "I AM." He is before He does.
Those made in His image need to be the same way. We are
simply to be in His Presence before doing things for Him or seeking
things from Him. Our words aren't even necessary for Him - He knows our
thoughts already - and they often aren't necessary for us, either. Like
sitting in a room and enjoying a loved one's silent companionship, we
can sit with God and just be. There's joy simply in a sense of His
Presence.
Hear His voice: "Spend time with Me today. I don't just mean
have conversations with Me, though our conversations are good. I mean
spend time just being with Me. Learn to exist, to move in the
knowledge of My Presence. Many of the answers and changes you long for
come with seeking My Presence rather than seeking the answers and
changes themselves. When you prioritize Me, I move on your behalf much
more readily. I desire good things for you. But above all, I want
your heart."
Lord, my heart is Yours. I want Your benefits, but I want You
even more. Fill me with the joy of Your Presence as I seek You above
all else. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by
Chris Tiegreen]
Joy comes from being in God's presence. David's heart was
glad--he had found the secret to joy. True joy is far deeper than
happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is
temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is
lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we
contemplate his daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand
the future he has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your
life on circumstances, but on God. [Life Application SB]
John Wesley taught his followers to pray, "Let me abstain
from all pleasures that don't prepare me for taking pleasure in
thee."
That doesn't mean he was a killjoy. When people accused him
of being sour, he replied that he was convinced "true religion or
holiness cannot be without cheerfulness. True religion has nothing sour,
austere, unsociable, or unfriendly in it."
Wesley countered critics with questions: "Are you for having
as much cheerfulness as you can? So am I. Do you try to keep alive
your taste for innocent pleasures? So do I." He insisted that he
enjoyed "every pleasure that leads to my taking pleasure in [God]."
Wesley denounced the idea that knowledge of our sinfulness
makes us miserable. He insisted that dealing head-on with our
tendencies toward "pride, self-will and peevishness" enables one to
experience "peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Wesley wrote prayers for daily use, including these:
"I know you are the end for which I was created, and I can
expect no happiness but in thee."
"Let us take pleasure in your service and abound in your
work, and in your love and praise evermore."
Father and Provider of all blessings, cleanse me and bring
your holiness of joy and fulfillment into my life. Help me to seek
you fervently and to enjoy all pleasures in your company. [The One
Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
Sherwood Wirt tells us that the French poet Paul Claudel once
remarked, after listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, "Now I know that
at the heart of the universe is joy."
That's a hopeful and optimistic perspective, but it seems to
be contradicted by the vast emptiness of outer space and the
agonies of humankind. To echo Einstein's question, Is the universe
friendly?
In response, Wirt turns to the Scriptures where, amid the
Bible's rugged realism, he finds repeated affirmations of joy. The
psalmist speaks of "God my exceeding joy" (Psalm 43:4, KJV). Isaiah
urges, "Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth!" (Isaiah 49:13 NKJV).
Jesus promised his disciples joy, and Peter writes of "inexpressible
and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8 NIV).
The psalms are songs full of rejoicing and calls to rejoice.
Woody observes that the words gladness, joyousness, delight, and
jubilation appear 108 times. In the Psalms we find the full range of human
experience, including despair and desperation. Yet the theme throughout is
the call to "shout for joy ... all the earth, burst into jubilant song
with music" (Psalm 98:4, NIV).
Wirt turns to the word celebrate to capture the meaning for
our times. "Let the heavens celebrate, and let the earth be glad."
He calls for an injection of a spirit of jubilation. "The gospel is
a message of grace and deliverance from sin by the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, a call to repentance, commitment, and new life
in the Spirit. It is a life not only victorious, but filled with
the joy of heaven."
What is at the heart of the universe? The Bible affirms that
"God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16 NLT) and that he lives in glory and
joy. In our tragic, sinful world, that's often hard to comprehend.
Sherwood Win points us to the Good News: "The church has been
given a joyful message, the greatest news that ever came to the human
race."
Father in heaven, your salvation and joy are far beyond my
comprehension. Infuse my mind and spirit, I pray, with the rejoicing and
celebration that comes from you. Purify me, Lord, and draw me into your joy.
[The One Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,--all depend upon
our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily,
hourly,--by abiding in Him, --that we are to grow in grace. He is not only
the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and
last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and
the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, "I
have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I
shall not be moved." Psalm 16:8. {SC 69.1} [Remnant SOP SB]
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