Summary
The Joy to Come: Fullness of Joy in God's Presence
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" Psalm 16:11. This single verse anchors the Christian's confidence about what lies ahead. The fullness of joy is not a vague hope but a destination — eternity in the presence of God himself. The best truly is yet to come.
Psalm 16 follows a striking pattern. David begins with a cry for protection: "Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge" (v. 1). Then come seven verses of pure praise before any further petition. He confesses, "I have no good apart from you" (v. 2), "you hold my lot" (v. 5), "I have a beautiful inheritance" (v. 6), and "the Lord… is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken" (v. 8). This pattern teaches us how to pray: exalt God first, so that every petition is offered in light of his greatness, sovereignty, and faithfulness. Praise is what gives birth to confidence.
That confidence then breaks forth in verses 9–10: "my heart is glad… my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." David sees past the grave. Death does not have the last word. And the New Testament tells us exactly who the "holy one" is. Peter and Paul both quote this very verse to point to the resurrection of Jesus Christ Acts 13:35-37. David died and saw decay; Christ did not. He was raised — and his empty tomb is the guarantee that every promise of God holds firm for those who are baptized into him.
Scripture fills out the portrait of what awaits. God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes," and death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more Revelation 21:4. Jesus promises, "I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am you may be also" John 14:3. We will stand among saints "from every tribe and language and people and nation" Revelation 5:9. Our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like Christ's glorious body Philippians 3:21. What we now know dimly, as in a mirror, we will then know face to face 1 Corinthians 13:12. And the joy of that day, Jesus says, "no one will take from you" John 16:22.
Here is where "In His Presence" sounds an important warning against faulty thinking. We are tempted to expect fullness of joy on this side of heaven — and then to be repeatedly disappointed when life under sin's effects cannot deliver it. But "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" Philippians 3:20. We are visitors here, passing through. Genuine joys and blessings come our way by God's grace, but the fullness of joy is reserved for the homeland. Knowing this rightly orders our expectations and frees us from disappointment.
This is why Advent is such a fitting season for the doctrine of heavenly hope. The Church wears blue — the color of hope and anticipation — and lights the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love. Advent is a season of waiting, and so is the whole Christian life: days of expectation, trusting the sure promises of God. Because Christ has been raised, the baptized child of God can speak with David's confidence: in his presence there is fullness of joy. The best is yet to come.
Video citations
- "In His Presence" — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to Psalm 16 for our study today? Psalm 16 and we're going to focus in on one particular verse, that is verse 11. But we're going to explore all of this…