THE GLAD HEART

“Therefore MY HEART is GLAD, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope” – Psalm 16:9 

GOD is the Author and Upholder of THE GLAD HEART: “Therefore MY HEART is GLAD, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope” (Psa.16:9). The New International Version interprets the word “glory” as used here, as “tongue.” The psalm is therefore describing a situation of gladness of heart, rejoicing tongue, and well-being – a body that rests in safety. Pervading this Psalm are the themes of Gladness, Joy, and Rejoicing, all of which emanate essentially from God’s Presence, but are channelled through the heart. Psalm 4:7 says: “You have put GLADNESS in MY HEART, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased.” This depicts a Gladness that is not dependent principally on material provisions and possessions, physical circumstances, or happenings.

The first six verses of Psalm 16 depict a single-minded trust and whole-hearted declaration of allegiance to the Lord: “…O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You” (vv.1-2). The psalmist looked to God Himself as his inheritance, rather than to God’s blessings and gifts: “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance” (vv.5-6). Yet, the Lord does give blessings as well as His Presence. The rest of the Psalm enumerates the many blessings earmarked for the faithful, namely: counsel and guidance (v.7), defence, stability, and security (v.8), gladness and rejoicing (v.9), and preservation from corruption (v.10). Nevertheless, to have the Lord is to have all there is!

David blessed the Lord who had given him counsel (v.7a). This might have been a specific counsel to address a present need in the midst of desperate circumstances, or God’s general counsel that forms the foundation for His wisdom in life’s diverse situations. David’s allegiance to the Lord, and his whole-hearted trust in Him provided the framework within which this counsel came. What’s of special interest is the manner in which this counsel came: “My HEART also instructs me in the night seasons” (v.7b). It didn’t come in some spectacular manner such as through an angel or a vision, but through David’s own thought processes as he prayerfully pondered and meditated in the night seasons. God can use more spectacular means to convey His wisdom and will, but more often, He uses ordinary channels to accomplish His purposes. Primarily, God instructs us by His Word and His Spirit, through our hearts.

The final verses of the psalm are a celebration of confidence in God, in the midst of desperate circumstances – Confidence in the Face of Death: “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (vv.10-11). The revelation of the path of life issues from a steadfast allegiance to God in faith and recognition that only in Him are gladness and goodness found. Seeking our Joy, good, and deliverance elsewhere is to embark on a different path where hope is vain and sorrows multiply (v.4).

Convinced in God as his only good, David set the Lord continually before him, placing his hope in Him (v.8).The Lord Himself was at his right hand: even in dire straits he would not be shaken. He therefore rested his whole being – heart, soul and flesh – in God, rejoicing in His presence, power and promise! This joy is grounded both in who God is and what He gives: the joys of His face – His Presence; and the joys of His right hand (v.11). From an eternal viewpoint, the “path of life” transcends the bounds of this world and its hopes, extending beyond the grave to the life to come, evermore in the presence of God and the fullness of joy. As we nurture God’s Presence and cherish His Instructions, GLAD HEARTS, rejoicing, and restful bodies will be our portions.