June 11 Daily Devotional

Life Everlasting: A Meditation on Psalm Sixteen

Psalm 16

1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Devotional

(continued)

Pleasures for Evermore

Heaven will consist of pleasures for evermore. In this life God gives to His children things richly to be enjoyed. It is no mark of special godliness to despise God's gifts. The ascetic is not always a saint. But even the greatest joys of earth come to an end. No matter how secure the sources of our joy may seem to be we know that happiness here cannot last long, for life cannot long continue. The dearest friend that we may have may soon leave us. Health, so essential to the enjoyment of any comfort here, may soon fail. Property, however firmly it may he secured, may "take to itself wings and fly away." Not so will it be at the right hand of God. Happiness there will be eternal. Losses, disappointment, bereavement, sickness, can never occur. There will be nothing to mar the joys and pleasures of God's children forever.

Let no one think that he is more of a saint if he boasts no interests in the pleasures of Heaven. Certainly such a one is not interested in God's Heaven for that will be full of joys. The truly devout long for the day when they shall hear Jesus say to them: "Enter into the joy of thy Lord."

Who Have This Hope?

Who alone have this certain hope of everlasting life? Those only who have taken God to be their portion. No one to whom God is not all in all is worthy of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. . , . Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." These are indeed hard words, hut there must be no higher love than love to God. All happiness and life must be in God.

If we seek any good outside of God, we are not worthy of Him, Men cannot love Him in part and think that will do. God will not and cannot accept a halfway allegiance. Christ is the Lord of His people. He must reign without a rival in their hearts, and His lordship must show itself in their lives. No one can hope to be blest beyond Him or independent of Him. God comprehends within Himself the highest joy. He who possesses God lacks no good thing, but apart from Him no good thing can be.

It is well for God's children to be able to point to some evidence of their love and attachment to God, Arc they not called upon by the apostle Paul to "make their calling and election sure"? This is no idle charge. It must be taken seriously as an admonition from the Lord. They can, with David, point to their love of the brethren, for only as we love them do we know that we have passed from death unto life. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

God's children have the marks of His grace. Can you point to them? If so, your journey to the Celestial City will be with firmer step and with more joy.