11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures. (Psalm 16:11 CSB)

Today’s passage is one that can fill us with so much hope and happiness. It is a signpost to living a life continually in the presence of God so that we can experience abundant joy.

This can seem, in the busyness of life, a pipe dream. Something wished for but never achieved. But wishing is not seeking. For us to truly experience this abundance we must become creatures who seek to spend time in our Father’s presence. We must become people who are seeking Him first before anyone or anything else first.

Walking in His constant presence can help to offset life’s many frustrating quirks. It can help us stay grounded and we can cast momentary concerns upon Him and then go about our day. But when we are distant and our prayers are few and far between, how can we expect to experience God’s joy or pleasure.

Again, I often write these as much to myself as to anyone else. I often wrestle with life in my own strength and find my peace and joy fading away. Everything then begins to compound itself and life becomes a pressure cooker. Why do I not simply stop in my tracks and pray? Why do I seek any outlet for my pressure aside from God?

When I stop and pray, meditating upon scripture and seeking God’s will first, He reveals the path to life in Him.