Last time we looked at how our depth of joy is directly related to the depth of our seeking God for preservation. Let’s continue and look at how…

Our joy is most complete when we are satisfied in God.

And satisfied in Him specifically to the exclusion of being satisfied in other things or people.

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Another word that might help us wrap our mind around satisfaction is contentment” (Psalm 16:5–8). 

Have you ever gone to the fridge or pantry and been looking for something to eat and just not found anything that you wanted? For most of us, when we do this, it’s not so much that there isn’t food in there, but that there is nothing that looks appealing to our current mood.

And all too often the current mood of our spirit is not to feast upon the riches and depths of God. We are so quick to reach for spiritual junk food that doesn’t satisfy instead of feasting on the six-course meal at God’s table. 

It’s not that we can’t find joy in other things. We should find joy in all the gifts of God. It is that if we are not satisfied in God first then we won’t have complete joy in anything. 

Another way to say it is this: Joy in the pleasures of this life will not be as complete unless we enjoy them in God. We must recognize that He is the source of all good things, that He has gifted to us in a personal way these good things, and that He wants us to even worship Him through the enjoyment of His good gifts. 

The imagery of portion, cup, lot, and lines may be a little far removed from our daily life. In this time period, when family units lived together and farmed together, each year as the families grew and marriages happened, the portions of the land were re-evaluated. The lines were drawn and lots given in which portion of the whole would be your family’s responsibility to maintain and harvest and, later, to inherit.

The portion and lot of God given to us in Christ is a pleasant one. It’s the greenest, most fertile land. We have a beautiful inheritance. We get God. 

This level of enjoyment in God leads us to seeking His counsel and instructions (v7) and always having God set before us (v8). This is a place where we are not shaken. 

Security in Christ

I think it’s worth noting that the claim isn’t that nothing will try to shake us. And we very well will be shaken if we are not secure in Christ. The reality is that Christ is the only one who has perfectly lived out verses 7-8. But there ought to be a growing trend in our lives of seeking God for counsel and having our eyes set on Him in daily life.

When you put verses 5-8 altogether, you get a picture of someone who is satisfied in God alone. And joy will abound from this place of satisfaction.

But when we seek satisfaction elsewhere, joy is sure to be lacking.

John Payne, a Sovereign Grace pastor, gives this helpful thought:

“The lack of joy is a warning light. There’s something off if there is no joy. It is an indicator of self-righteousness, discontentment, impatience with the work of the Lord. If you struggle with pride or you don’t like the portion the Lord has given you, or you are frustrated, maybe even mad, that God isn’t working faster in your life, you will lack joy.”

God is calling you to submit yourself humbly to God, see Him as more than enough and deeply satisfying, and not be shaken. This will have joy as its fruit.

Our joy is most complete when we are satisfied in God.

In part 3, we will see how Jesus is our source of everlasting joy.