You make known to me the path of life; in
your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures
forevermore.
- Psalm
16:11, ESV
Joy. What images or ideas does
that word induce? Society defines it as “the emotion evoked by well-being,
success, or good fortune or the prospect of possessing what one desires”
(Merriam-Webster). Therein lies the tangled evidence that joy, according to
worldly standards, is rooted in the material and circumstantial; it is contingent
upon obtaining – and keeping – what we want.
By this
same definition, joy is fleeting because it is dependent upon things that are
inconstant. That dream home will soon require repairs and remodeling, just like
the rest. That new-model car won’t be new forever; it will accumulate miles, scratches
and rust, like any other. That coveted promotion comes not only with a pay
raise, but with its own unique demands and headaches, too.
In
short joy is, both in its degree and duration, a reflection of its source. So if
we are to have lasting, unshakable joy, its source must necessarily be eternal
and immovable. Enter the context provided by David: fullness; forevermore. Quite
a contrast to circumstantial and fleeting, is it not? Unlike the hollow
and temporary fixes offered by the temporal, the joy which comes from God is
complete and endless. And the secret? It
is found in his presence. Not in doing or working or earning or saving up
or purchasing – but simply in being. Overflowing, enduring joy is ours for the
taking if we will only rest in the company of God.
His
mention of the right hand is also interesting. Biblically speaking, the right
hand is symbolic of a person’s strength. So we might rightly read this as “in
the place of your strength there are pleasures forevermore.” This sentiment
aligns neatly with something Nehemiah told God’s people many years later:
“[T]he joy of the Lord is your strength” (8:10, ESV). In God’s strength, we
find our joy. And in his joy, we find our strength.
Paul’s
letter to the church at Colosse sheds additional light upon the matter: “If
then you have been raised in Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of
God” (3:1, ESV, emphasis mine). Jesus resides next to the Father in the
place of strength and joy. Translation: In
Jesus is found the wellspring of our strength and joy. This is borne out in
another of Paul’s letters, this one written to the Ephesian Church: “[God]
seated us with him in heavenly places” (2:6, ESV). We are in Jesus. Jesus is
seated at the right hand of God. So we, too, sit there in the place of honor,
strength, pleasures and, inevitably, joy.
Joy. Scripture defines it as
residing in God’s presence. According to biblical standards, it is rooted in
the glorious and eternal; it is contingent upon nothing and no one except Jesus
– and that is reason enough to rejoice.
