“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
(Psalm 16:7-8).
This is David at his best. Even though enemies threaten him, he declares his trust in God alone as he depends on God’s counsel. It is because of God’s nearness (“he is at my right hand” that David is secure.
Last Sunday we reflected also on how God offers true pleasures to those who follow Him. Psalm 16:11 says: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
The gospel says that only by delighting in Jesus can you find the hope and security and love you long for. No other gods will do. It’s not Buddhism which teaches us to anesthetize ourselves from the pain. It’s not Hinduism which tells us to converge with the energy of the world. Our world far too broken to try to escape it or believe that we can fix it by our own convergence of human power. The gospel is not moralism that says to become a better person so that God will accept you. Nor is it irreligion which says it doesn’t matter what you follow as long as it is true to you. No power, pleasure, possession, pundit or political party is going to meet our deepest needs.
The gospel says that the good news is that God Himself has come down and instead of removing suffering in this world He decided to take on suffering Himself. He took a cross to prove to each one of us that He loves us with an everlasting and very real love.
C. S. Lewis says, “he who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.” When we can make the same declaration of David that in God alone is found ultimate satisfaction and thus we can presently have ultimate hope.
Those who find their pleasure in Jesus and rest in the security of knowing Him can have great hope today that their future is secure. He is coming again and He is with us now until He returns.
Living Out the Word of God
Call someone you’ve been praying for that needs hope today. God just might be using you to be the answer to their prayer for hope.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, we are grateful that You are at our right hand—You live within us! Father God, You are never far away and are a constant in our lives. Jesus Christ, we know You are coming again and that You are with us today. Use us to bring hope to someone in need. Amen.