I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
(Psalm 16:8, 11 NIV)
There are a few verses in the middle of the Bible that might shed sunshine over your whole vision of the future, if you have faith in Jesus Christ.
As we look ahead into the unknown, the future often feels dark. Or worse, we overrun our imagination of what’s to come with countless hypothetical fears that leave us dreading tomorrow or the season of life ahead.
But if you belong by faith to Jesus Christ, the Bible will tell you otherwise. Your future is exceedingly bright.
Your Eternal Future Is Bright
Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (NIV). What a beautiful description of your life as one who belongs by faith to Jesus!
No matter how bleak this life may become, we are all headed toward the fulfillment of God’s promise—to bring us with him into a joyous eternity where he will make all things new and where pain and death and sorrow will be no more (Revelation 21:1-4).
Until that day, and although we know our path heads toward glory, life often doesn’t seem bright. The future in this lifetime is unknown to us. We live by faith in God’s promises, not by what we see (2 Corinthians 5:7). In fact, what we see often threatens to wildly discourage us and may even shut out all light from our eyes (Psalm 38:10).
Your Present Future Is Brighter Than It May Seem
But God’s Word also holds out hope to us. It shines a light into our dim futures and darkened present circumstances.
Consider again these precious words from Scripture: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken…You [the Lord] make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:8, 11 [ESV]).
Shaken is a great way to describe how we may feel when looking ahead. Yet, it is possible to look ahead unshaken. For those who belong to the Lord Jesus, Scripture testifies that although we do not know where our future is headed in this life, we do not head into it alone. The Lord is at our right hand.
Notice what the psalmist sees as he looks into his future. Do his fears come to life? Do his dreams come to pass? He chooses to see one thing that’s certain—the Lord, standing at his right hand. “I have set the Lord always before me” (Psalm 16:8 ESV), he says. God, his loving companion fills his vision, and his presence is what arms him against fear of the future.
But this psalmist gives us more hope than just to avoid fear of the future. He sheds hope like the new morning sun over all of our existence. For those who know Jesus Christ, we can expect great joy. Wherever we go, the Lord goes too. And wherever the Lord is, his presence brings fullness of joy. He is the light of our lives and the source of all true happiness.
Jesus’ Presence Lights Up Your Life
A friend of mine clued me into the preciousness of this part of verse 11. He said something along the lines of, “as I look ahead to the decisions I need to make, I realize that no matter what happens, no matter where I go, I have Christ, and he says that in his presence is fullness of joy. So, whatever happens, joy awaits me, because wherever God leads me, there he will be.”
That’s true for all of us who follow Jesus!
Friend, I have no idea where you are headed today or tomorrow. I have no idea where you find yourself right now. But I do know from the testimony of Scripture, from God’s own Word, that if you belong to Jesus, your life is brighter than you think. The Lord can—today and everyday—fill you with the joy of his presence, which is eternally available to you because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice for you on the cross, which made you his forever.
If you do not belong to Jesus, and you recognize that apart from him your future is darker than you may dare to imagine, call out to him today, asking for salvation from your sin and for him to restore your relationship with God, and he will do it (Romans 10:13)! The whole course of your future—your immediate and eternal future—can change by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ today.
To all who believe in him, as you trod on in faith: You have with you the light of the world. And whoever follows him will “never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Bring the Light into Others’ Darkness
May Psalm 16:11 remind you that your future is bright today. But may it also grow in you the longing to see other lives lit up with the joy of the Savior. Who do you know today that does not know Jesus—who needs the light of life?
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world.[1]
The following devotional was entirely inspired by our friend Jack, who shared what God taught him during his morning devotions as he was reflecting on Psalm 16. Although we wrote this devotional, the thoughts originated with him, and we are so thankful to God for providing this encouragement to us that we can now pass onto you!
. . .
Source
[1] Troccoli, Kathy (1985). Go Light Your World. On Sounds of Heaven [ Audio File]. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/track/440Ezkgb2VlBfokSdxiSVy?si=95603d6686a144d6.