Do I Really Believe that Fullness of Joy is Found in Jesus?

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

Psalm 16 is one of my favorite Psalms. The Corner Room, a folky Christian band, put Psalm 16 to music on one of their albums. It’s a lovely rendition of the Psalm. Verse 11 always stands out to me. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ve certainly read about my struggle with overeating. I’ve accepted that this will probably be a lifelong battle for me; however, victory belongs to the Lord. In a recent article from Desiring God, Scott Hubbard says, “Christians commit sins. At times, they may even commit grievous sins, as David and Peter did. But Christians do not love their sins. And only beloved sins undo us.” I’m not home in heaven yet, and I won’t be completely free from the curse of sin until I am. Meanwhile, God is teaching me more about his love and grace as I strive to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus instead of on my plate. Psalm 16:11 has a lot to say about my battle with food, and our battles with sin in general.

Let’s start with the first line of verse 11: “You make known to me the path of life.” This is a wonderful reminder that God does not leave us in the dark; rather, he is the light and his light shines forth through Jesus, the living Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Jesus teaches us how to live in a way that honors him. When he lived on earth, he showed perfect obedience, which includes perfect self-control. Jesus did not overeat even once in his life, not even when he had been fasting for forty days and Satan tempted him with bread (Matthew 4:1-4). Jesus also showed perfect self-discipline. He often left the disciples to pray by himself, and he relied on God’s timing and provision. In Psalm 16:11, ‘path’ is not plural. Likewise, self-control and self-discipline are not optional for Christians. They are markers along the path of life. Jesus sets this example for us.

The last line of verse 11 says, “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (I’ll come back to the second line in a moment). In Bible times, sitting at the king’s right hand was a place of honor. Those who sat at the king’s right hand had shown themselves good and faithful servants. They loved their king and they did what he asked of them, and they received special blessings in return. Jesus was the good and faithful servant in our stead. We love God because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19). God sees us as good and faithful servants; Jesus’ righteousness covers our sinfulness like a beautiful garment. We look white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).

Therefore, as servants of God, we experience pleasures forevermore. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says that pleasures are “a source of delight or joy.” When we do God’s will for us in Jesus, which includes growing in self-control and self-discipline and loving God above everything else, we experience delight and joy forever. That means here on earth, and also in eternity. Here is where my battle with food comes in charging: Do I really believe that loving God by showing self-control will bring me more joy than eating a second or even third helping at dinner? Every time I choose to overeat, I answer ‘no’ to that question.

Let’s come back to that second line of Psalm 16:11: “In your presence there is fullness of joy.” Every time I choose to overeat, whether from temptation inside or outside, I deny the truth that Psalm 16:11 shares so freely. I shout with resounding force that fullness of joy is not found in Jesus, but is actually found in food. I reveal what’s in my heart at that moment in time: Following God’s will for my life doesn’t bring me joy. Loving God doesn’t bring me joy. I’d rather selfishly do what I want to do. I’m almost like a whiny child throwing a fit over getting the wrong color paper. What God gives me isn’t good enough–I can provide mysef with what I need, and I can do it better than God can. He may have provided me with an abundant first helping, but I go back for more, just like the Israelites who tried to keep their manna overnight (Exodus 16:19-21). I act like God’s special right-hand blessings mean nothing to me.

I never realized how much overeating rails against the truth that fullness of joy is found in Jesus or how clearly it shows my lack of faith in God’s ability to provide me with good things. What God gives me is good enough. In fact, his provision is perfect. He knows exactly what I need, and he will never withold it from me. Matthew 7:9-11 says, “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Do I really believe that fullness of joy is found in Jesus? Do you really believe that fullness of joy is found in Jesus? I hope that in the coming days, and weeks, and years, we can answer a full and complete YES! Fullness of joy is found in Jesus, and not in anything else.

Photo: Glen Carrie on Unsplash