Psalm 16:11

Psalm 16:11

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.



This verse is one that my pastor, Dr. Les at Westwood Baptist, used in his service a couple of weeks ago and it is one that has had me thinking a lot lately.



"You make known to me the path of life" - while studying this one section so many things have been revealed to me. The path of life is one that no one, but God, has control over or knows the outcome of. There are so many things that I don't understand about life and death but I always know that God is in control. Even though I know that, sometimes it still doesn't make it easy for me to understand. My Paw Paw is not doing well. His cancer has grown and he is rapidly losing weight. I don't understand why cancer even exists. I don't understand why it has taken so many lives and has affected literally everyone I know in some way or another. I don't understand why there is no cure for it. But then I remember what Dr. Les was saying. God is a God of compassion, understanding, and love but he is also a God that brings His wrath down on a people that have constantly turned away from him. If we didn't have things such as cancer, there would be no way out to get to be with God in eternity if we didn't die. We have to die to be with Him. I then prasie God that my Paw Paw accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior last year and that he will get to be with Jesus in eternity when he does pass. This is so comforting. So this path of life that I am on is one that will be full of ups and downs and uncertainties and questions and unknowns, but if I continue to trust in Him and know that He is in charge of my life and really give that to Him, then there really is nothing for me to be concerned or worried about.



"you fill me with joy in Your presence" - again a part that I have been thinking about. There are days when I am just not joyful. Days when I really honestly can not fathom how I am going to make it through. Days when I feel like such a failure of a mom and wife and friend. Days when I want to just crawl up in a hole and go to sleep. Days when I feel I can do nothing right. But then there are days when the sun is shining and I am so happy. Days when it might be raining outside but there is joyful laughing inside my house. Days when all seems to be just "right". Days when my relationships seem to be working. Days when even when things go wrong, I seem to be able to handle them better. So that got me thinking. What is the difference in those days? (Yes I am hormonal and yes I am on medication....) But the difference in those days is when I spend time with my Lord and Savior and time praying and reading His Word. He fills me with His Joy!!! If I am not spending time with Him, he can't fill me. When I do, His Joy spills over in every area of my life. I have to be "in His presence" for Him to do this. Knowing that and putting it into actual practice is something I have to do. Something I want to do. Something that I need to do. Joy comes from Jesus and no where else.

"with eternal pleasures at your right hand" - eternal pleasures... not earthly pleasures, but eternal pleasures. Now that is what should matter. Earthly pleasures are nice and there is nothing wrong with wanting them. We are human and that is a natural fleshly desire. But when we really start to think about it, we are only here for a very short time. Where we spend eternity is where the pleasures will count. I know that I am a born again Christian and that I will be spending eternity with my Lord and Savior in heaven. So that means that I need to be concentrating on my eternal pleasures that will come from Him. Not my earthly pleasures that will be gone when I am. My eternal pleasures that come from being a mom and wife that God would have me be. This is where my focus needs to be. It needs to be on sharing my testimony and sharing Christ with all I come into contact with. Not being ashamed or afraid or embarrassed to share my faith with everyone around me. This is what will give me the eternal pleasures from Him.

Where do you stand? Let Him guide you and lead you and fill you with the joy that can only come from Jesus. Stop and think about this verse. It has a lot to offer and a lot to ponder. At least it did for me....