…at your right hand are pleasures forever more.
Where do you look for happiness and joy? Happiness is usually fleeting and dependent on circumstances which can change. But true and lasting joy are found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Christians have the joy of Jesus and the hope of heaven; where there are pleasures forever more at the Father’s right hand.
This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.
Before I became a Christian, I pursued sinful pleasures to find happiness and joy. Initially, I enjoyed the immediate gratification that sin offers, but as time passed I grew increasingly miserable. Sin is a trap that certainly promises short term joy, but in the end only causes pain and suffering.
I longed to understand how to have the joy that I saw in Christians. Then after accepting Christ, I experienced joy in His presence. I learned that obedience to Him results in joy. While His ways and guidelines may seem restrictive, they do produce joy; because they give us healthy boundaries and protection.
I still struggle with the temptation to seek joy elsewhere, but God always draws me back to Himself and I look forward to being with Him for all eternity.
The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him. – Dwight L. Moody
The first step to finding joy in God’s presence and pleasures forever more is through reconciliation with God by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus is the only way to receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life, through His death on the cross and resurrection.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NIV)
Once reconciled to God, we need to stay connected to Jesus, (John 15:1-5), to enjoy and produce Spiritual fruit. Joy is listed as the second fruit of the Holy Spirit, (Galatians 5:22).
John 15:11 says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (NASB)
Jesus wants us to be full of His joy!
Accepting Christ and His joy doesn’t mean we won’t have problems. But, He gives us something far better than a trouble- free life and that is His presence.
Hebrews 13:5 says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
“Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God.” –Sam Storms
Jesus is at the Father’s right hand, (Romans 8:34), (Acts 5:30-31) and pleasures forever more refers to eternal life.
Christians become citizens of heaven, at the moment of salvation. (Philippians 3:20).
Death is not the end for believers, but the beginning of pleasures forevermore in heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:3-4 says, “And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.” (NIV)
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)
Heaven is a real place that is so wonderful; it is beyond human understanding.
As wonderful as our lives may be here, they pale in comparison to heaven.
Just as heaven is a real place so is hell. Thankfully, Christians are saved from hell because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Believers will be judged for service done for the Lord, instead of for our sins.
We can have assurance of our salvation as 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (ESV)
Do you experience joy in the presence of the Lord?
Are you looking forward to heaven?
Do you know for sure that you have eternal life and are you looking forward to going to heaven?
Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.
Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.
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In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more. Psalm 16:11 | CLICK TO TWEET
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