ARE YOU SATISFIED IN GOD’S PRESENCE?
(A Sermon)
Text: “You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy; In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore”. Ps 16:11 (AMP)
The text of today shows us that there is indeed a path that if we take it, as directed by God, it will lead us to joy in the presence of God. This path is called the “Path of Life”. As human beings, this path is often neglected because as the Bible says, “But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to everlasting life and there are few who find it.” (Matt 7:14 AMP). In the journey of life, most of us look out for a comfortable and wide path to become satisfied with life, albeit abundantly. God is the one who shows us the path to tread. He directs us to it. We however prefer not to tread the narrow path which could be difficult to travel, leaving only the few who attempt and find it. Suffice it to add that this narrow path leads to fullness of joy in God’s presence. We are talking of a full portion of joy not any percent thereof. This full and lasting joy could only be found in God’s presence. It should be noted and cautiously too that God Himself is the One we rejoice in. He is the One that makes us glad.
Satisfaction is the pleasure that you feel when you do something or get something that you wanted. God wants us to be satisfied in this life. The Bible tells us that: “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear”. Is. 65:24 (NKJV). There are two (2) ingredients that need to be fulfilled for you to be satisfied, according to this scripture. These are: God’s presence and your willingness to tow the narrow path by believing or having faith that the Lord is able and speedily, too, to answer your petitions. In other words, God is able to grant you joy in His presence.
It pays to pursue our full joy in the Lord. According to the Psalmist, “Delight yourself in the Lord, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart”. Ps. 37:4 (AMP). David, in this scripture, calls us to take delight in the Lord, but how do we do this? To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him better. The knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed give us delight. John 3:16 (AMP) states that “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world, that He even gave His One and only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Thus, when you delight in the Lord, you will ultimately be satisfied.
-A/P (Gen) Shina Ogunbiyi
…To be continued
