Joy in Your Presence

So many of us, if not all of us, are looking for joy today.  We are looking for joy in our earthly relationships, looking for joy in our jobs, and looking for joy in our wealth and in our possessions.  Where can we find true joy?  Joy is a gift from God.  True joy cannot come from our earthly relationships, our jobs, our wealth, or our possessions.  True joy can only come from God.  In Psalm 16:11, David says, "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.

JOY comes through the PRESENCE of God, not the PRESENTS of God.  I don't know about you, but when I look back at many of my prayers I find myself praying for the PRESENTS of God a lot more than the PRESENCE of God.  For Christ followers, God's greatest PRESENT is His PRESENCE.  David understood this and confirmed this in Psalm 16:11.  David was a man who had it all...people, power, health, and wealth.  However, none of it brought him joy.  It was God who brought Him joy through His personal presence.  That's the way it was for David then, and that's the way it should be for us today.

Let's spend more time in prayer and more time in the Word of God seeking His face, desiring His PRESENCE more than His PRESENTS.  Lord, start with me.  I am guilty of desiring the blessings FROM You more than desiring the blessing OF You.  Forgive me and help me.  Thank You for meeting me where I am today and overwhelming me with Your presence.  Thank You for the joy You give me in this eternal relationship.  Amen.