Joy in His Presence

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11 KJV).

There is joy in the presence of God. If we are therefore in need of joy, we now know where to find it! People might sometimes look for joy in the wrong places, and end up disappointed because what initially appeared to the “the real thing” later fades away as its emptiness becomes revealed.

We cannot find true and lasting joy outside of God. This is because joy is a heart virtue that comes from God’s presence. And like every other heart virtue, it is not directly under our human control – at least, not to make it.

You can choose to work hard and earn more money. You can choose a neighborhood to live in or what type of car to drive. These are choices you have under your direct control. However, heart virtues, including joy, are not under our direct control. If we could get joy the way we can decide to work hard and get more money, many hardworking or rich individuals would always be full of so much joy. But this is clearly not the case for many of such individuals.

True joy is planted as a seed in the ground of man’s heart. Godly joy begins when we find Jesus as our Savior and are therefore brought into reconciliation with God. And that joy continues when we continue, as Christians, to live in God’s presence. For example, when you fellowship with God in the Word and in prayer, you discover that your heart becomes full with joy. Joy comes from the presence of God!