God's promises

Show Me, Guide Me

Think of forever and then add more. That is our time in God’s presence. God is our perfect instructor; He will guide us. God is our complete joy. God is our forever promise.

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

We are given three promises in this verse.

God will make known to us the path of life,

In His presence is fullness of joy,
In His right hand there are pleasures forever.

Let’s look at these three promises with a careful eye to see, and a heart to understand.

You will make known to me the path of life

First, it is God, Jehovah, the Almighty, who is our source of understanding. Looking back to the beginning of this Psalm, some things we have learned is that God will guard us, He will keep us, He will counsel and instruct us, He is our source of strength, and He is our source of joy.

What does it mean that God will make something known to us?

make known, from the Hebrew word yada, meaning to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); …including observation, care, recognition; …instruction, designation, punishment; …to regard, to have respect, to be sure, to teach, to have understanding.

The path of life – Jesus is the path of life. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we are redeemed. Remember this is a Psalm of David, a praise to God for His blessings. We read King David’s exultation in the mercies of God in Psalm 21.

Psalm 21:1 O LORD, in Thy strength the king will be glad, and in Thy salvation how greatly he will rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and Thou hast not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For Thou dost meet him with the blessings of good things; Thou dost set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked life of Thee, Thou didst give it to him, length of days forever and ever.

God will make known to you Himself – He alone is able to cause you to have understanding of who He is. It is only because of Him that you are able to understand your need of His gift of salvation. It is His work in your heart that makes you His child.

As God’s child, you have the privilege of getting to know God through His Word, through His care, and through His instruction.

We know God through understanding given to us by His Holy Spirit and through His discipline in our lives. As we are focused on knowing and understanding God’s will for us, He will lead us in the way which we should go in order to bring glory to His name.

In Your presence is fullness of joy

Presence, paniym, … the face…before…countenance…

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.

In God’s presence there is exceeding joy. Full and perfect joy and satisfaction. This is the future which awaits those who trust in Him. Fullness of joy cannot be found in earthly things. We look forward to that state of blessedness where our complete focus and purpose is realized in God’s presence alone.

But for now, we can find joy in the blessings we have here. And we can be joyful for the future which awaits us and all those who have placed their trust in Jesus alone for their salvation.

Is there joy in your heart? Do you see God’s blessings in your life right now?

3) In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Forever, from the Hebrew word, netsach, a goal, i.e. the bright object at a distance traveled towards; perpetual

Forevermore – from now on and for all time; eternally; ad infinitum

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Pleasures – “Our joys are empty and defective: But in heaven there is fulness of joy. Our pleasures here are transient and momentary; but those at God's right hand are pleasures for evermore. For they are the pleasures of immortal souls, in the enjoyment of an eternal God”, John Wesley’s Notes.

Think of forever and then add more. That is our time in God’s presence. God is our perfect instructor; He will guide us. God is our complete joy. God is our forever promise.

We have –

God’s protection,

His blessings,

His promises,

His love, and

His faithfulness.

We look forward to the certainty of being in His presence forevermore. How could we not be joy-filled knowing these truths?

Is your focus on the LIGHT at the end of the tunnel?

James 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

Psalm 27:1 ([A Psalm] of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

John 12:46 "I have come [as] light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

Are You Secure?

There is nothing you can do to ‘lose’ your salvation. You can mess up, make a bad decision, sorrow for the things you should have done differently, however, God’s love and gift of salvation to His children is unconditional and permanent.

We have read about God’s protection, His blessings, and the confidence we can have in Him. In Psalm 16:9, the Psalmist proclaimed, “My heart is glad, my glory rejoices, my flesh will dwell securely”. In verse 10, he gives his reason for this statement – because God will not abandon his soul to hell; because Christ arose from the dead.

Psalm 16:10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.

According to the above scripture, how certain can God’s children be of their future in heaven?

Psalm 16:10 says He will not abandon us to hell. This is a promise to those who have placed their trust in Christ alone. We have all heard stories of animals abandoned and even babies and children abandoned. Abandonment means to leave. We can be abandoned by friends in school, and by family when opinions differ.

There are things that can make us feel abandoned or alone, but the truth is, as God’s children, we are never alone. God will never forsake His children. We can walk away, we can look the other direction and get confused, we can even buy into the lies of Satan for a while, but if we are truly His chosen child, He will always be right there waiting for us. What an incredible comfort this truth is to those who believe. The truth that we will not be abandoned like the stray dog in the field or the newborn baby that is cast aside and not wanted, should fill our heart and soul with ridiculous, intoxicating joy! Heaven is your final destination if you have genuinely accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Just as we cannot earn heaven – it is a gift received by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone – we cannot un-earn heaven. Think about this! There is nothing you can do to ‘lose’ your salvation. You can mess up, make a bad decision, sorrow for the things you should have done differently, however, God’s love and gift of salvation to His children is unconditional and permanent. I used to have a printed canvas on my wall that read, “The measure of love is to love without measure”. There is no measure of God’s love. It extends beyond our understanding. We don’t deserve it, we cannot earn it, but God chooses to give it.

The word used in Psalm 16:10 for hell is Sheol. It is the Hebrew word for the land of the dead, the infernal regions, the nether regions, the abyss, the abode of the damned, eternal damnation, eternal punishment, perdition, hellfire, fire and brimstone, or Hades. We have all heard of at least one or two of these words for hell. Why do you think there is a debate about heaven and hell? If you want to get into a lively conversation with someone, just ask them if they believe in heaven and hell. I think there is an underlying concern in each of us that heaven and hell is real. The Bible even tells us we will be without excuse. We will not be able to say we did not know; we will not be able to say we did not understand.

Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

The Prophet Isaiah speaks of the blessing of heaven and God’s faithfulness – because of Christ alone, sin is defeated. This is not trivial. Whether you believe in God or not, no matter what church organization you associate yourself with, ignoring what happens when you physically die will not change God’s existence or judgment. Let’s say you don’t believe in heaven or hell, or God, or religion, or you think that when you die you simply cease to exist. You have the freedom to choose what you want to believe. However, if God is real, and His word is Truth, there is a judgment to come which will include all people. Then what? If you have rejected His Son, hell will be your end. If you have accepted His Son, you will live in heaven with Him for eternity.

Isaiah 38:17 "Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. "For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

The first part of Isaiah 38:17 speaks of God’s faithfulness. The second part speaks of the miseries of hell – there is no thankfulness, no praise, and no hope. There will be no opportunity to change your mind! You can say you were wrong, you messed up, you now believe in Him; but it will be too late and separation from God’s love, blessings, and care will be your eternal destiny.

The opposite is Heaven. Those who believe in Jesus and have accepted His gift of salvation need not fear hell because Jesus’ resurrection was victorious over sin and death. In fact, when your physical body dies, you can look forward to the promise of being in heaven with Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote of his desire to be with Jesus when addressing the church at Philippi.

Philippians 1:22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

The second half of Psalm 16:10 speaks of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. It reads, “Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay”.

Thy Holy One – one who is the object of God’s favor, and so a recipient of divine grace… Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

To see corruption or to undergo decay; “Christ's body arose from the grave without seeing corruption, Ac 2:25-28,31; and the bodies of believers shall be delivered from corruption by virtue of their union with him”, Family Bible Notes.

“Into the outer prison of the grave his body might go, but into the inner prison of corruption he could not enter. He who in soul and body was preeminently God's "Holy One," was loosed from the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. This is noble encouragement to all the saints; die they must, but rise they shall, and though in their case they shall see corruption, yet they shall rise to everlasting life”, The Treasury of David.

Psalm 4:3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.

“The victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over death and hell was a victory for himself the head, and for his body the church. Because God has shown him the path of life, he will show it to them also that are united to him by faith. Though their bodies go down to the grave, they will not be left there for ever. When Christ shall appear the second time, all who have died in him shall be raised up incorruptible and glorious”, Family Bible Notes.

1 Corinthians 15:52-54 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from death so that those who have placed their trust in Him completely for salvation are saved from hell to eternal life. This is the truth that motivated David and all the saints before us.

Are you able to say, “My heart is glad, my soul rejoices, and I am secure for all eternity because God loves me and sent His Son”?

Rejoicing through Trials

There is no rejoicing because of difficult circumstances however, God’s children can continue to rejoice in and through trials because of their future and the certain hope they have in Christ.

“May grace (the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude) and peace (prosperity and quietness) be yours in the fullest measure” 1 Peter 1:2b.

Because –

Even when things are difficult, we can rejoice (v.6)

1Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

There is no rejoicing because of difficult circumstances however, God’s children can continue to rejoice in and through trials because of their future and the certain hope they have in Christ. Those who are chosen are able to rejoice in the grace and peace of Christ given to them, because of His mercy (v.3), because of their inheritance reserved in heaven (v.4), because they are protected by His power for salvation (v.5).

The foundation for rejoicing through trials has been laid out for us in the previous verses. Notice the adjective attached to rejoice in verse six – greatly. This is more than just accepting difficult circumstances; it is moving through them, exceedingly joyful for the future, with absolute knowledge that in the end all is well with our soul. Consider the account of Horatio Spafford. He survived the great Chicago Fire of 1871 in which he lost most of his real estate investment. Then in 1873, he planned to join his wife and four daughters on a transatlantic cruise after he finished some business. He sent them on their way, and later received tragic news that all four of his children had drowned when the ocean liner was in a freak collision with an iron tanker. Later, approaching the scene of the wreckage, he penned the hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul, (Wikipedia).

Is your soul well, filled with joy, because of God’s promises?

Matthew Poole’s Commentary explains rejoicing as “an outward expression of the inward gladness of the heart”. Our hope is based upon what we know for the future – we are saved to glory, where at last we will be safe and secure in the presence of God. Therefore, we are able to greatly rejoice even through the distress of trials. We are able to rejoice in the truth of our present salvation and rejoice in the hope of our future reward. Jump ahead to the words in 1 Peter 1:9, “obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls”.

In comparison to all eternity, our difficult circumstances are for a little while. The KJV translates this phrase to the word season. It literally means puny. Our trials may seem lengthy and overwhelming, but this is because our context is wrong. We tend to look at things in the sense of time according to what we understand. We also might look to the pleasures we are given on earth as the fulfillment of our joy. In both scenarios, our focus is shortsighted.

Is it possible we place too much significance on our circumstances here rather than our purpose for God’s future kingdom?

Days, weeks, months, years, and decades are the means by which we measure our existence. Yet our soul is eternal, lasting forever with Christ. Our calendar, compared with eternity, pales in its significance. As a visual, take a sheet of paper and mark a point with the sharp tip of a pencil. That point is our time on earth. We can use this same exercise in comparing our suffering with that of our Redeemer. Although our difficulties may be heart-wrenching and filled with extreme sorrow, they are nothing compared to Jesus’ rejection and crucifixion.

Tag: God’s promises

Show Me, Guide Me

Like this:

Are You Secure?

Like this:

Rejoicing through Trials

Like this: