Key Points:
Overview: This is a psalm about attaining true joy. What it shows us is that true joy follows trust - trust in the one True God! Joy is not just happiness. Rather, it is a joy that “is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.” (John Piper). We have this joy because He never leaves us or forsakes us. This joy is attainable only through commitment to God, contentment from God, and confidence in God.
Commitment to God - v.1-3 (Part 1: Trust in God)
Right away we see how David seeks refuge in God. He is trusting his life to God. Not only this, but all the good we have is from God. Fellow believers (“excellent ones”) who share this joy are a delight. Discussion: David finds strength in God and from his fellow believers. Take a moment and encourage one another by sharing a moment or experience where your faith was definitely impacted by a fellow believer.
Commitment to God - v.4 (Part 2: Trust in Idols)
Running after false gods leads to sorrow. This misery can be multiplied in usually one of two places: (1) The lie of attainment (materialism, self-improvement, physical pleasure). These are not bad things in and of themselves, but they are never meant to take the place of God. (2) The lie of overindulgence (this is where we pursue meaning in what we do, meaning in what we possess, and looking for meaning in who we are). These are like drinking saltwater, the pleasures of this world only make us thirstier.
Discussion: Henry Scougal sums up this conflict between trusting the true God and following false gods in the statement, “The love of the world the love of God are like scales of a balance - as the one fails, the other rises.” Joy coms in following God, sorrow from following false gods. Can you give any examples of experiencing this in your own life? What did you learn from the experience?
Contentment from God - v.5-8
Commitment to Jesus leads to contentment from God. Commitment comes first, this is in the ‘head.’ Contentment is in the ‘heart.’ The head and the heart intersect. It is often difficult to trust God when we face difficult circumstances (e.g. difficult boss, poor grades in school, struggles in marriage, ill health, abuse, pain, heartbreak, loss, etc.) . It comes back to finding satisfaction in Jesus. This is the key (v.8). David sets the Lord always before him. The pursuit of joy begins with commitment to God, and then contentment from God follows. Once there is commitment and contentment — the head and the heart are in the same place, and confidence follows.
Discussion: There are Christians who put the primary focus on ‘heart.’ Their emphasis is on feelings. What do these passages say about this?
Confidence in God - v.9-11
David has a reason for his confidence in God: commitment + contentment = confidence. This is summed up nicely in v.9, “therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” But v.10 transitions into a Messianic promise about the “Holy One” who will never suffer decay (used by Paul to describe Jesus in Acts 13:35). It is because of Christ’s love shown to us at the cross that we can have confidence. How can we reconcile God’s goodness to our circumstances? How can we trust God in difficulties? “Because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
FINAL THOUGHTS: —— The last verse is a summary verse of the entire psalm, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The commitment to God is the path, the contentment from God comes from His presence, and the confidence we have in God leads to ‘pleasures’ forevermore. This truth has been a foundational truth in Reformed circles for nearly 500 years. The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “