As I walked to the front door, the expression on his face revealed the joy in his heart.
My wife and I once had the privilege of keeping two of our grandsons. When the younger of the two was just shy of two and still learning to balance as he walked and ran, he would meet me at the front door every day with a huge smile on his face and his arms waving. If I didn’t pick him up immediately, he cried. His older brother, however, was content to continue watching television or doing whatever he was doing.
The psalmist found joy in God’s company presently and looked forward to experiencing the same joy throughout eternity.
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalm 16:1l NLT).
So often our happiness in God’s presence is tied to something he has done for us. God promises to supply our needs, and when he comes through, we experience joy.
But if he doesn’t supply them the way we anticipated or think he should have, our joy is tainted—or even absent. Our goal is to reach the pinnacle of finding joy in the sheer presence of God, regardless of what our circumstances are. Relishing in the relationship itself—even if there are no frills.
If we’re not careful, the passage of time—along with busyness—can steal the first love we had for God. My oldest grandson once used to run to the door to meet me, as his younger brother later did. Age and interest in other things eventually curtailed his excitement over seeing Pop.
The younger loved for me to stroll him when I first got home. Although his vocabulary was very limited at the time, he had ways of letting me know what he wanted. Neither can we have a normal verbal conversation with God, but if we look for joy in his presence, his spirit will speak to us, and we’ll eventually find joy from simply being in his presence.
Learn to discover your peace and joy in the presence of God.
Martin Wiles is an author, pastor, English teacher, and freelance editor who resides in Greenwood, South Carolina. He is the founder and editor of the internationally recognized website, Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). Wiles is the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions, the Senior Editor for Inspire a Fire, a Proof Editor for Courier Publishing, and Assistant Editor for Vinewords.net. He has also served as Web Content Editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolina. Wiles has authored Don’t Just Live…Really Live (Ambassador International), A Whisper in the Woods: Quiet Escapes in a Noisy World (Ambassador International), Grits & Grace & God and Grits, Gumbo, and Going to Church (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), Morning By Morning, Morning Serenity, and Grace Greater Than Sin (America Star Books) and is a contributing author in Penned from the Heart (Son-Rise Publications), Rise (Chaplain Publishing), and Love Knots (Vine-Word Publishing). He has served as Regional Correspondent and Sunday school lesson writer for the Baptist Courier and has also written for Lifeway’s Bible Studies for Life curriculum. He has also been published in Christian Living in the Mature Years, Mature Living, Parenting Teens, Open Windows, Proclaim, Stand Firm, The Secret Place, The Word in Season, The Upper Room, The Upper Room Disciplines, Light from the Word, Reach Out Columbia, Mustard Seed Ministries, Journey Christian Newspaper, Common Ground Herald, The Quiet Hour, Power for Living, Halo Magazine, Joyful Living Magazine, Christian Broadcasting Network, Converge, Sharing, Today’s Christian Living, These Days, Plum Tree Tavern, Eskimo Pie, The Scarlet Leaf Review, Creation Illustrated, LIVE, Purpose Magazine, The Banner, Relevant, Bible Advocate, Reasons to Live, Author Magazine, and Lutheran Digest. Wiles has also written for the Bridges and Pathways Curriculum (Warner Press) and is a regular contributor to Christian Devotions, PCC Daily Devotions, Theology Mix, Inspire a Fire, The Write Conversation, Inkspirations, and VineWords and is a regular writer for the Dorchester County Eagle Record, the Orangeburg County Times and Democrat, and the Greenwood County Index Journal. Wiles has also served on faculty for the Asheville Christian Writer’s Conference. crat, and the Greenwood County Index Journal. Wiles also serves as the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions , the Senior Editor for Inspire a Fire, and as a Proof Editor for Courier Publishing. You can follow him @linesfromgod.
