Joy Challenge Video Devotional - Day 11: Pastor Ryan Shook
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“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
In 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven completed his Ninth Symphony, Ode to Joy, written by German poet/playwright Friedrich Schiller in the summer of 1785. It’s the European Anthem of the joy that peace and brotherhood bring. What’s amazing is that Beethoven was deaf when he composed Ode to Joy! He couldn’t hear a single note. Later, in 1907, a poem written by Henry van Dyke, called The Hymn of Joy was set to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody in the final movement of the Ninth Symphony. It begins with “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love….” The entire hymn is a song of joy for the Giver of immortal gladness!
In Psalm 16, David wrote a very personal hymn of joy expressing the goodness of God. He uses over 25 personal pronouns in just 11 verses of this hymn. Take a moment to review David’s Ode to Joy in seven of these verses:
In verse two he writes, “I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You.’” (NLT)
He adds this in verse 5, “LORD, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.” (NLT)
Verse 6 says, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (NIV)
Verse 7 says, “I will bless the Lord who counsels me; He gives me wisdom in the night. He tells me what to do.” (TLB)
Verses 8 and 9 say, “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.” (NLT)
Then David concludes with this in verse 11, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (NKJV)
When you read this hymn of joy, you can’t help but feel the intimacy David experienced with God. Here’s the point: Fullness of joy comes from the presence of the Lord. From His right hand, David says, are pleasures forevermore! This is the path of life God has for those who make the Lord their refuge! David’s hymn began with this prayer, “Save me, O God, because I have come to you for refuge.” Psalm 16:1 (TLB)
Have you made the Lord your refuge? The word refuge means a safe place, a hiding place, a fortress where you are protected by the one in whom you put your trust. Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins, to provide a safe refuge for us to experience the fullness of His joy. Like David, we can experience that same joy when we cry out, “Lord, save me! I come to You for refuge.”
If you’ve done that, then your Joy Challenge today is to take a moment and write your own Ode to Joy! Use Psalm 16 as a model for what you want to express in gratitude to God for all He has done for you. What good things has He given you? How has God guarded your life and protected you? Where have your boundary lines fallen? In what ways has He directed your life and blessed you? How has God come through for you and brought you joy? Write it down in your journal, pray it back to God, and watch your joy tank overflow with praise!
Printed copies of The Joy Challenge devotional are available at The Joy Challenge - Kerry Shook Ministries.