A Couple Things About Joy
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You will make known to me the way of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11 NASB
Introduction
I recalled this verse recently, while discussing grief, and made a few mental connections. I figured I would try and type them out here. The main point is that Christ is our source of joy. God is speaking through the psalmist to declare that joy comes ultimately from Him, we may enjoy other things as shadows of joy in this life, but He owns it. He is the wellspring of it. There are two facets of His joy in this passage.
The preceding line relieves our fear. “You will make known to me the way of life.” God brings a joy that is accompanied by peace. A few verses earlier the psalmist says “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;” (Verse 8-9a) God goes before us. We need not fear. Not only will He go before us, but He will let us know peace with joy. It’s not joy with a blindfold. He is illuminating our lives day by day to the mysteries and glories of Christ, and what our future holds is entirely in His hands.
Full
The term “fullness of joy” sticks in my head. When I’m not repeating the whole verse, I recall to mind “God has fullness of joy.” I understand the phrase, “in Your presence,” as either of a couple possible meanings. The first is that we are always in the presence of God. We are never away from his presence. (Psalm 139:7-12) This distinguishes God’s fullness of joy from any source of happiness that we get anywhere else. Those are less than shadows of the joy of living in the presence of God. This is an overflowing joy. We may struggle to contain ourselves with the gladness that Christ brings. The Latin term “Coram Deo” means that we live our lives in the presence of God. One of my favorite theologians, R.C. Sproul, explains this phrase here. The second way I understand this, and both may be simultaneously true, is that we are experiencing a foretaste of joy in this life. The culmination of our experienced joys in this life will be when we are “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12) with Christ.
Forever
The third line shows us this joy is not only without equal, it is also without end. “In your right hand, there are pleasures forever.” The metaphor here pairs well with God as the source. We are as sheep feeding out of his hand. We are dependent on him for this joy. We cannot conjure it up. He feeds us with joy. We will continue to experience fullness of joy without end in Christ. This brings my favorite short parable to mind of the man who sells all he has to buy a field. Matthew 13:44 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” The field is not particularly nice. The weeds are beginning to grow over. The soil is dry and difficult. But within this field is a treasure beyond worth. The man sells all he has and buys the field. Everyone else is thinking, “what is wrong with you?” That field is worthless. But Christian, we have come to know the fullness of joy is within that field. He will never fade. Not only is he full, compared to the emptiness of fleeting pleasures in and of themselves, but He will always and forever fill you with joy.
I reference this passage often and have placed it in a previous post, but it fits with this topic so well. 1 Peter 1:3-9 says:
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
