What’s
Your Pleasure?
I
will praise the LORD with my whole heart,
In
the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
The
works of the LORD are great,
Studied
by all who have pleasure in them.
Psalm
111: 1-2
In what do you find pleasure?
What makes you happy? What makes you feel joyful and free? Is it finding extra
money in your bank account? A lower number than you expected on the scale? Perhaps
it’s the weekend that makes you feel happy, or praise from your boss after an
especially difficult project. These things are all good, and there’s nothing
wrong with feeling happy about them. But today, I’d like to suggest a different
approach to finding happiness, and it comes from these two little verses in
Psalm 111.
These verses caught my eye in my
quiet time this morning, because of that last line: “Studied by all who have
pleasure in them.” Having done my time in school, I can’t really say that I’ve
used the words, studied and pleasure in the same sentence too
many times! I do appreciate studying because I like to learn new things, but pleasure
to me is more indicative of recreation or relaxation, not the diligent work of
learning that studying is.
Yet, the Lord says that those of
who take pleasure in His works will study them. So, what are the
works of the Lord? Well, this word is repeated a number of times in the Psalm.
In verse three, we learn that his works are honorable and glorious. Verse four
says they are to be remembered. Verse six tells us that the power of His works
has been declared to His people.
But the really important clue
about God’s works comes in verses seven through nine:
The
works of His hands are verity and justice;
All
His precepts are sure.
They
stand fast forever and ever,
And
are done in truth and uprightness.
He
has sent redemption to His people;
He
has commanded His covenant forever:
Holy
and awesome is His name.
Truth and justice are God’s
works! Think about that. In light of all the “fake news,” lies of our culture
and the enemy, and even our own self-deception,
God’s works are always true, and His precepts
(or commandments) are always sure. For
all eternity, they will never fail, and they will never change. They will never
be unfair, or partial to a particular people group. Always upright and true,
God will remain absolutely unaltered and unquestionably pure and perfect.
I’d like to encourage you today
to take some time to dwell on this truth. Truly take pleasure in the study of
God’s unchanging perfection. In the midst of struggles with your bank account
and the scale, your difficulties at work, or your dread of another Monday, take
a moment just to think about God’s unchanging nature. He is always right,
always true, always just. He will never change, even as your account balance,
your job, and the seasons of your life surely will. These truths will bring you
to that place of pleasure that I described in the beginning of this article. I
can relax because I know that my sovereign, unchanging God, who redeemed His
people (including me), will never change, will always do what is right, and
will always be holy and awesome. Praise Him with your whole heart, and then go
tell the whole congregation of the pleasure you’ve found in studying His works!