Psalm 16

This is a Stop the presses! sort of blog title. The kind of thing that makes you think, Did I read that right? For I bet you’ve heard a lot of things about God, but I’m sure there are many of you who have never heard God described as a pleasure-seeker. In fact, in many circles, it might be an abomination to put the words God and pleasure together in the same sentence!

I love the ending of this psalm: “You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (vs 11) At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Have you been seeking pleasure? Have you been looking in the right place? If you’re having trouble finding it, David tells you exactly where to go: God’s right hand.

Does that surprise you? For far too long, we have been led to believe that God is trying to keep us away from pleasure. But really, it’s just the opposite. Sin promises pleasure, but it never delivers. At times, it might seem to bring pleasure, but in the end, the “pleasure” dissolves into misery.

God, on the other hand, promises—and delivers!—on pleasure forevermore. He’s not a cosmic killjoy. He is, in fact, the only way to real and lasting pleasure. Trying to find pleasure outside of Him is like trying to get full without eating food. It’s not gonna happen.

I love the way the New Life Version rendered this verse: “In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” As with every other good thing, God holds happiness and pleasure in His hands, and He is dying to share it all with us! He is not stodgy or stingy or scroogey, and He’s not out to squelch our fun.

God has all the best pleasures at His fingertips, and He’ll happily let us in on the fun!