Living The Fullness Of God's Joy (Know God, Know Joy)

Living the Fullness of God’s Joy

Text: Psalm 16:11

Intro:

This Sunday is our 1st week that we are now having our monthly theme this July entitled “Know God, Know Joy”. As I was meditating our text this month found in Psalm 16:11, I can’t help but to ask God, what kind of joy does God wants us to understand or grasp at this point in time? If you ask many people, including ourselves, what are the things that make us joyful? You see there are a slight difference between happiness and joy that can be found in this world. According to Wikipedia, “happiness” is defined as a mental or emotional state of well-being which can be defined by, among others, positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. While “joy” is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. On this 2 meanings we can see that being happy is an emotion while joy is the highest level of that emotion. So being joyful or full of joy means we are not just happy, but super, mega, or having a great emotion of being happy.

In this world where many things we think are sources of joy in our lives, we sometimes mistakenly identify them as the true source of this great emotion. Allow me to give you a glimpse of what the word means in the light of God’s Word. Let’s read our text today Psalm 16:11

Psalm 16:11 NIV

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

English Standard Version

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

ASND:

Itinuro n'yo sa akin ang landas patungo sa buhay na puno ng kasiyahan, at sa piling n'yo, aking matatagpuan ang ligayang walang hanggan.

Earlier we saw in this verse the 3 sources of joy that God wants us to experience, but today God wanted us to see the 3 kinds of spiritual joy.

1. The Joy of Salvation – “You make known to me the path of life” “landas patungo sa buhay”

The writer of this Psalm is David and he clearly mentioned about a discovery of a path of life that God gave him. What is this path of life that David mentioned? David didn’t know about that path, but God made it known to him. We saw David as a young shepherd boy in which God made a path for him to find a life that he will experience God. From being a boy to a successful King of Israel many times David experiences the help of God. You see the path that he discovered is path to God’s salvation – a life that will give us joy.

David knew how many times God saved his life in the hands of his enemies. He surely knew what was the feeling of having a Savior in our God. He speaks of the path to salvation where we remember Jesus said in John 14:6a Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He did not say that I know the way, but He said He is the Way. He is the path of life that God wanted everyone to experience. He has the roadmap to that life that goes to His Father that is why He also said in the 2nd part of the verse “no one can come to the Father except through Me” which means He knows the Way where infact He is the “only” Way to that life! God allowed David to discover this path because he had a close relationship with God. The Joy of Salvation is about finding a path of life where we can experience God’s salvation through a close relationship with Him.

In Luke 15, we can see 3 parables where Jesus explained the Joy of Salvation. Verse 1-2, we saw Jesus eating with sinners like tax collectors and Pharisees and teachers of the law took notice of it. Then He started telling the parables.

Parable of the Lost Sheep – vv3-7

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Parable of the Lost Coin – vv8-10

9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’

10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”