Perhaps What’s Needed is a different Flavor of Joy!
The psalms in the Bible were originally intended to be sung. Some churches still sing the psalms. Every church sings songs that are inspired by the psalms. So the Psalms are a little bit like our modern hymnals.
Psalm 16 is a special psalm in that the writer expresses his closeness to God; his communion with God and the incredible joy that comes to him as a result-now and for eternity.
Here are some verses to give a little flavor of this psalm:
“In you I take refuge sweet Jesus.” (verse 1)
“You are my Lord and Savior no 1 is stronger than you; I have no good apart from you.” (verse 2)
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Make the land you have given me pleasant and beautiful.” (verses 5-6)
“I have set the LORD always before me.” I set you before me Jesus(verses 8)
“Therefore, my heart is glad, Help my heart be glader, I want to rejoice.” (verse 9)
“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” let me linger in your presence a while longer so that you can fill me with Joy, come and touch me in my joyless circumstances, take away the sting and foul taste of bitterness, failure, lack or depression (verse 11) Help me be happy again and full of the Joy of the Lord, dear sweet gentle Jesus!
The psalmist declares that he has something better than what all the non-Levitical tribes received. He has God. God is his metaphorical portion, cup, lot, boundary line, inheritance, God is his flavor of Joy. And a close relationship to God, brings joy. Now and forever. Christian, do you know that by having a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ; by having the Holy Spirit living inside you, you have something better than anything this world can offer? Even if everything is falling apart, and you have nothing in this world, rejoice. You have the very best thing. Work hard to draw closer and closer to Jesus through Bible, prayer, church life, worship, obedience and service. The closer to Jesus you are, the more He will and can fill you with joy.
Everyone else, do you know that if you have everything the world has to offer, and yet don’t have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, you are still missing the very thing that you were made for? You are missing out on the greatest possible joy. Maybe you are a church-goer who is a really good person? But do you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you? Do you have a real relationship with God? Have you drawn close to Jesus Christ? Are you sure that you will experience “fullness of joy” with Jesus in eternity?
If you aren’t sure you are a Christian, take a moment right now to repent of your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ, God’s divine Son, who died on a cross and rose again 3 days later, conquering sin and death for all those who believe upon Him, repeat this short prayer, Dear Jesus, I am a sinner in need of your saving grace, I am sorry for my sins, I invite you to come in my life and become my personal Lord and Savior, I invite you to fill me with joy, draw me close to you, draw me close to God, help me realize and understand that worldly pleasures and worldly distractions can never create the type of Joy that Christ offers or the type of joy that Christ gives, I want this joy, I want to be happy, so I therefore cast aside my weights, my difficulities, and my painful or trying circumstances and “Pray, Jesus, come and fill me with Joy”, in your name, I ask and pray, Amen!
Brett Duersch & Evangelist Wendy Evans
