"In Your presence is fullness of joy."
Psalm 16:11
It was late afternoon. Three children were playing in the house. They heard a car in the driveway. One child exclaimed loudly with joy, "Daddy's home. Daddy's home." They all jumped up and ran out the door to greet him. He hugged each one of them. They didn't want to turn him loose. You see, he had been away for days on a business trip. Excitement filled the house just because daddy was home. After he hugged his wife, the children gathered around him. Sure, he always brought them gifts. They received from his hand and hugged him again. The house came alive just because daddy was there. His presence changed everything. So it is with our heavenly Father. His presence in our lives always gives us joy, even fullness of joy.
Theologians teach us that God is omnipresent. That is to say, He is everywhere at the same time. The psalmist talks about the fullness of joy in God's presence as a special way He reveals Himself to His children. That revealed joy comes through the worship of God. One word translated worship in the English Bible comes from a Greek word meaning "to kiss toward." When I think of that expression, I imagine children gathered around daddy, as they express their love for him and receive his love. So it is when we worship our heavenly Father. We are loving Him and receiving His love.
We can go nowhere in this world where God's presence is absent. Millard Erickson wrote: "The point here is that nowhere within the creation is God inaccessible. Jeremiah quotes God as saying, 'Am I a God at hand . . . and not a God afar off?' (Jeremiah 23:23). The implication seems to be that being a God at hand does not preclude his being afar off as well. He fills the whole heaven and earth" (Millard Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2001) 95.
The real evidence of God's presence is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This includes the joy of the Lord. Again, Erickson writes: "Of more importance, in many ways, than receiving certain gifts is the fruit of the Spirit. These virtues, in Paul's estimation, are the real evidence of the Spirit at work in Christians. Love, joy, and peace in an individuals life are the surest signs of a vital experience with the Spirit" (Ibid., 285). God's presence is made known to us through both the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. The abiding gifts of the Spirit are faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13). The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22). We notice that love is mentioned both as a gift and fruit of the Spirit. That's because God is love (1 John 4:8). The presence of God's love brings joy.
God wants us to enjoy Him, and let us enjoy Him forever. Joy comes not because we seek it, but because we seek Him. He loves us and He wants us to experience the joy of His love divine. The Spirit of God's love is poured into our hearts as we worship Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:24; Romans 5:5). Don't focus on the joy. Focus on the Father. The joy always flows from His presence.
Psalm 16:11
It was late afternoon. Three children were playing in the house. They heard a car in the driveway. One child exclaimed loudly with joy, "Daddy's home. Daddy's home." They all jumped up and ran out the door to greet him. He hugged each one of them. They didn't want to turn him loose. You see, he had been away for days on a business trip. Excitement filled the house just because daddy was home. After he hugged his wife, the children gathered around him. Sure, he always brought them gifts. They received from his hand and hugged him again. The house came alive just because daddy was there. His presence changed everything. So it is with our heavenly Father. His presence in our lives always gives us joy, even fullness of joy.
Theologians teach us that God is omnipresent. That is to say, He is everywhere at the same time. The psalmist talks about the fullness of joy in God's presence as a special way He reveals Himself to His children. That revealed joy comes through the worship of God. One word translated worship in the English Bible comes from a Greek word meaning "to kiss toward." When I think of that expression, I imagine children gathered around daddy, as they express their love for him and receive his love. So it is when we worship our heavenly Father. We are loving Him and receiving His love.
We can go nowhere in this world where God's presence is absent. Millard Erickson wrote: "The point here is that nowhere within the creation is God inaccessible. Jeremiah quotes God as saying, 'Am I a God at hand . . . and not a God afar off?' (Jeremiah 23:23). The implication seems to be that being a God at hand does not preclude his being afar off as well. He fills the whole heaven and earth" (Millard Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2001) 95.
The real evidence of God's presence is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This includes the joy of the Lord. Again, Erickson writes: "Of more importance, in many ways, than receiving certain gifts is the fruit of the Spirit. These virtues, in Paul's estimation, are the real evidence of the Spirit at work in Christians. Love, joy, and peace in an individuals life are the surest signs of a vital experience with the Spirit" (Ibid., 285). God's presence is made known to us through both the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. The abiding gifts of the Spirit are faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13). The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22). We notice that love is mentioned both as a gift and fruit of the Spirit. That's because God is love (1 John 4:8). The presence of God's love brings joy.
God wants us to enjoy Him, and let us enjoy Him forever. Joy comes not because we seek it, but because we seek Him. He loves us and He wants us to experience the joy of His love divine. The Spirit of God's love is poured into our hearts as we worship Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:24; Romans 5:5). Don't focus on the joy. Focus on the Father. The joy always flows from His presence.
