Not long ago, I was driving down the road, losing a fight with discouragement. Then a Shane & Shane song came on Spotify, and one line in particular stopped me in my tracks:
“In Your presence is fullness of joy.”
As I listened, a question came to mind:
What does it actually mean to be in the presence of the Lord?
If the verse was true—and I knew it was—then somewhere in its meaning was the answer to my melancholy nature.
I’ve read that verse many times. I’ve heard it preached and sung. But on that particular day, I began thinking about it in a way I never had before.
How We Act Around Someone We Admire
Think about how people act when they meet someone they greatly admire.
It might be a famous actor, athlete, musician, preacher, or author. People become star-struck. They act giddy and stumble over their words. They tell that person how much they admire them and how their posters have been hanging on their wall for years.
Think about how Sheldon and Leonard from Big Bang Theory would act around the Star Trek cast.
Then another illustration came to mind.
What If Someone Saved Your Life?
Imagine you were dying from a rare disease.
Your only hope was a donor match, and time was running out. Then, at the last possible moment, a stranger was found whose donation saved your life.
After recovering, wouldn’t you want to take them to Texas Roadhouse for filet and yeast rolls, and wash their feet with your hair?
No words would seem adequate.
God Has Done Even More
As I thought about those examples, it suddenly became clear.
God is infinitely greater than the most famous person who has ever lived.
And He has done infinitely more for me than saving my physical life.
Through Jesus Christ, He has forgiven my sins, adopted me into His family, and given me the promise of eternal life.
He has provided for me, protected me, guided me, corrected me, comforted me, strengthened me, shown me mercy more times than I can count, and has done miraculous healings for me.
If I would become excited about meeting Tom Brady, how much more should I stand in awe of God, the One who saved my soul?
What It Means to Enter His Presence
That’s when it hit me.
Perhaps entering God’s presence is not nearly as mysterious as we sometimes make it.
Perhaps it begins by simply focusing our attention on Him.
It is praising Him for who He is.
It is thanking Him for what He has done.
It is telling Him:
You are holy.
You are righteous.
You are faithful.
You are merciful.
You are powerful.
You are loving.
You are good.
You are worthy.
You are the God of the peaks and the God of the valleys.
You are God of the blessings I’ve counted and the ones I’ve overlooked.
You see the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end, and rescue me before I know I need rescuing.
No Room for the Enemy’s Seeds
One of the thoughts that struck me that day was this:
When I am genuinely praising and thanking God, there is very little room in the garden of my mind for the enemy to plant seeds.
Seeds of fear.
Seeds of anxiety.
Seeds of bitterness.
Seeds of self-pity.
Seeds of discouragement.
Instead, praise and thanksgiving plant different seeds—faith, hope, gratitude, peace, and trust.
And unlike my sad little tomato plants, these seeds bear fruit quickly.
The nanosecond I begin praising God, my perspective starts to change. My load is lighter. My problems don’t disappear, but they shrink compared to the greatness of God.
Praise reminds me that the King who saved me yesterday is still on the throne today.
The Joy Is in His Presence
Notice what Psalm 16:11 does not say.
It doesn’t say that fullness of joy is found only when everything is sunny and 75.
It doesn’t say joy is found in financial security, good health, fantasy football championships, comfort, or winning the weekly Powerball.
It says fullness of joy is found in His presence.
That means joy is available even when life is difficult.
Not because our circumstances are good, but because God is good.
Not because our problems are small, but because He is great.
A Simple Challenge
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
The next time discouragement tries to sucker punch you, kick it in the teeth with praise and thanksgiving.
Spend five minutes thanking Him.
Praise God for who He is.
Thank Him for your salvation.
Thank Him for answered prayers (and unanswered ones).
Thank Him for His provision.
Thank Him for His faithfulness.
Thank Him for blessings you normally overlook.
And if you’re struggling to find something to be thankful for, consider this: if you’re reading this article on your mobile phone or computer in an air-conditioned environment, you are already blessed in ways that much of the world can only dream about.
Start there.
You may discover that joy was never as far away as you thought.
It was waiting in His presence all along.
Feature Image by Barbara Jackson from Pixabay
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Onword and Upwords by Dennis Brady 
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