Finding Fresh Joy and Thanksgiving in the Walk of Faith
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 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.” Psalm 16:1-6
How to Find Fresh Joy
1. Discover the link between taking refuge in the Lord (Psalm 5:11, 18:2) and experiencing preservation/guarding power (Psalm 37:28, 97:10)
Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, oh, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head,
With the shadow of Thy wing.
Charles Wesley, Lover of My Soul
2. Remember that all happiness/good gifts come from the Father (v.2)
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:16-17
3. Celebrate role models: “the majestic ones in whom is all my delight” (v.3) [the true heroes] (Psalm 8:1, 8:9; Isaiah 33:21)
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7
“...the life of a Christian is to constantly study and exercise the putting to death of sin in the flesh until it is slain and the Spirit of God obtains dominion in us. Wherefore, HE SEEMS TO ME TO HAVE MADE MOST PROGRESS WHO HAS LEARNED TO BE MOST DISSATISFIED WITH HIMSELF...for no man ever hated sin without being previously enamoured with righteousness.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.3.20
RESOLVED: to intentionally walk with believers who (with joy and grit) make 2 Timothy 4:7-8 their aim: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
4. Know the end game, Part 1
• The sorrows of those who run after other gods shall be continuously multiplied.
5. Resolve to hate sin (v.4b)
“The choicest believers who are assuredly free from the condemning power of sin ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify (put to death) the indwelling power of sin...be killing sin or it will be killing you...hatred of sin as sin, not only as galling or disquieting, a sense of love of Christ in the cross lie at the bottom of all true spiritual mortification (putting sin to death)...there is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevailed or is prevailed upon; and it will be so as long as we live in this world.” John Owen (1616-1683), The Mortification of Sin
“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.” CS Lewis
6. Know the end game, Part 2 (vv.5-6)
• Pleasant places
• Beautiful inheritance