BIBLE PASSAGE:
You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
(Psalm 16:11)
MEDITATION:
Do you ever feel like you are just wandering through life looking for
direction and trying to find a purpose for living? If these thoughts
preoccupy your mind, they can steal your joy, can’t they?
It doesn’t mean you don’t have times of happiness, but when you are
alone or you are feeling down emotionally the uncertainty can return.
We can begin to wonder if there is any worthwhile and lasting pleasure
to be found in living our lives on earth.
If this describes you, the scriptures contain good news that can lift
your spirit! God can show you the path of life created especially for
you. He can also fill you with joy when you sense His presence. You
can find pleasure in knowing He is nearby to guide and encourage
you.
The Psalmist found this out for himself, and he shares it with us in God’s
Word. He seems to imply that our need for God Himself is greater than
our need for His promises. We all want health, wealth, knowledge, ideal
jobs, a better place to live, etc. God may allow us to have some, or all of
these things, but to really enjoy them, we need to feel His presence within
us.
There is a type of undeniable calmness, peace and joy whenever we sense
His presence within us. That’s how God is, right? He knows our desires,
our problems, our frustrations and our emotions. He knows everything
about us, including our needs.
He knows exactly how to bring clarity to our confusion.
He knows how to bring calmness to our anxieties.
He knows how to bring joy to our sadness.
He knows how to bring direction to our wandering.
He knows how to bring purpose to an unfulfilling life.
Whenever we have issues of any kind, we need to think
about God’s presence more than we think about His presents.
ACTION:
Question to consider:
– Am I still searching for my purpose for living?
If so, then seek out the Lord. If you have not committed your life to Him,
find someone who can explain what is required for salvation and pursue
it with the same gusto you have in finding worldly pleasures. When we
have a purpose for living, we have a firm foundation that can assist us
with the life challenges that we encounter.
Once we have been adopted by God as one of His chosen, we can
grow closer to Him and sense His presence in our lives. We can
grow in our relationship with Him through prayer, reading His
Word, obeying His commands, worshipping Him, and serving
Him in whatever way He has chosen specifically for us.
Think about this:
Since God created us, doesn’t it make sense that He wants to see
us enjoy life to the fullest? He sent His Son, Jesus as a sacrifice for
our sins so we could receive freedom from the worldly things that
hold us captive and cause us to miss out on finding God’s purpose
for us. When we believe God’s Word is true and we accept His free
gift of salvation, He does three things to help us begin living a new
and exciting life with a purpose (His purpose):
– God gives us the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us.
The presence of His Spirit in our lives also helps us
adjust to the new person He wants us to be.
– God begins a process (called sanctification) to purge us
of unrighteousness and fill us with righteousness. He
knows that we are incapable of accomplishing this
transformation in our own strength, so out of His love
for us and His desire to see us enjoy life with purpose,
He ‘sanctifies’ us.
– God gives us a ‘spiritual gift’ especially designed to fit
the person He created us to be. This is a special gift
from God to His ‘chosen’, to use in serving Him where
He has prepared and called us to serve.
God’s plan for His ‘chosen’ gives us the opportunity to ‘enjoy’ living life
with a purpose. The life He breathes into us could be considered the ideal
job. When we are blessed with God’s ‘perfect job’, it doesn’t feel like work
but instead feels like joy and fulfillment (a kind of life that can’t be bought).
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I want to feel Your presence in my life. My desire is
to grow closer to You and distance myself from worldly pleasures. I know
that when You are near me, my life will have a new direction and purpose.
I know that You can give me what the world can’t provide. I am thankful
for Your help in removing the things in my life that hinder my closeness
with You. I know that You have many blessings for me, and one of the
greatest blessings is, sensing Your presence in my life now, and the joy
of anticipating an eternal life with You and Your Son, Jesus!”
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